Painting Techniques & Class Demonstrations
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Watercolor Techniques
Watercolor Technique Assignment:
Create a chart that demonstrates 20 watercolor painting techniques. Get 2 sheets of watercolor paper and divide each sheet into 10 sections/rectangles. Demonstrate each technique explained below. Make sure to LABEL and NUMBER each technique according to the list below. EACH section is worth 1 point for a total of 20 points.
Create a chart that demonstrates 20 watercolor painting techniques. Get 2 sheets of watercolor paper and divide each sheet into 10 sections/rectangles. Demonstrate each technique explained below. Make sure to LABEL and NUMBER each technique according to the list below. EACH section is worth 1 point for a total of 20 points.
- SOFT EDGE: Using 2 colors, create a soft edge. 2 bands of color put down so that they barely touch. The colors will merge-creating a soft edge.
- CRISP EDGE: On a dry sheet of watercolor paper, lay down 2 strips of color that do not touch, creating a crisp/clean edge.
- WET ON WET/FREE EDGE: with a clean brush, lay down clean water on the sheet of paper. Then, lay down 2 different bands of color with a small gap between them. Watch how they bleed together!
- FLAT WASH: Continuous tone/value. Build up 3 levels layers of one color by overlapping washes of that color. Wait for each wash to dry completely.
- GRADATED WASH: Tilt your page about 30 degrees. Lay down a band of pure color, dip your paint brush in water quickly and lay down another brushstroke, repeat. Color should gradually go from a dark value with a lot of pigment, down to a light value that has more water and less pigment. A gradual wash of one color.
- VARIAGATED WASH: Using 3 colors, lay down a band of one color then dip your brush in water and lay down another wash of the 1st color. With a clean brush, lay down a band of the 2nd color, blending gradually from the 1st. Repeat with a wash of a 3rd color.
- CREATE VALUE/ DILUTE WITH WATER: Lay down a band of color, dip your brush in water and lay down another band. Dip your brush in water and lay down a 3rd band. Notice the changes in value of 1 color when the pigment is diluted with water. Creates depth!
- PAINTING WET ON WET SURFACE (1 COLOR): Using a clean brush, lay an even wash of clean water on your sheet of paper. While the paper is still wet, paint something using 1 color. Notice the soft edges and free forms this creates.
- PAINTING WET ON WET SURFACE (2 COLORS): Using a clean brush, lay an even wash of clean water on your sheet of paper. While the paper is still wet, paint something using 2 different colors. Notice the soft edges and free forms this creates.
- WET IN WET: Lay down a wash of 1 color. While the paint is still wet, paint something using a different color.
- WET ON DRY: Lay down a wash of 1 color and let dry completely. When the wash is dry, paint something on top using a different color. Notice the crisp edges vs. the soft edges from technique #10
- WATERDROP: Lay down a wash of 1 color, Let dry a little bit. Before it is completely dry, drop a few water drops on the wash and see what happens.
- LIFTING: Lay down a wash of 1 or 2 colors. While still wet, blot the surface with tissue, or paper towels, or a sponge. Create interesting visual textures and values!
- SALT: Lay down a wash of 1 or 2 colors. While it is still wet, pour a tiny bit of salt on the wash. The salt soaks up the water and pigment and makes interesting visual texture. Brush the salt off the paper.
- VARIETY OF BRUSHSTROKES: Experiment with your brushes and make a variety of different brushstrokes, Thick, thin, spotted, wet, dry, wavy, etc.
- WAX RESIST: Using a white crayon , draw something on a clean, dry sheet of paper. Lay down watercolor. Wax areas will resist the water and your design will show through.
- SPATTERING: Lay down a wash of 1 or 2 colors. With a dry toothbrush or paintbrush, get a different color and run your finger over the bristles towards the paper to spatter the paint. Control the area with masking, or hold a piece of paper over the area to be protected, or masked. Great for creating texture.
- MASKING: Using masking tape or fluid, mask off an area you want to leave white (to be protected from paint). Paint the area you want painted and let dry completely. Remove the mask. (Creates clean, crisp edges and controlled designs/ stained glass effect)
- ALCOHOLDRIP: Lay down a wash or variegated wash of color. While the paint is still wet, carefully drip a small amount of rubbing alcohol into the paint.
- PLASTIC WRAP: Lay down a wash or variegated wash of color. While it is still wet, lay down wrinkled plastic wrap into the paint. Carefully peel away to reveal texture.
Day of the Dead Watercolor Painting Techniques
-Class Demonstration by Mrs. Doerrer: How to paint flowers, skull, leaves, butterfly, spider
Watercolor Realistic Portrait Painting Day of the Dead video
How to draw a day of the dead skull video
Watercolor Realistic Portrait Painting Day of the Dead video
How to draw a day of the dead skull video
Oil Pastel Techniques
Oil Pastel Chart Template
Oil Pastel Class Demo Part 1: Techniques 1 through 6
Oil Pastel Demo Part 2: Techniques 7 through 12
Oil Pastel Portrait Demo
Oil Pastel Tools and Tips
Oil Pastel Tips:
Oil Pastel Class Demo Part 1: Techniques 1 through 6
Oil Pastel Demo Part 2: Techniques 7 through 12
Oil Pastel Portrait Demo
Oil Pastel Tools and Tips
Oil Pastel Tips:
- Work dark to light: lay down your darker colors and values first. Finish with lighter colors and values
- Work shadows to highlights. Start with shadows and layer on highlights
- Layer and build up the pigment
- See blending tips on the class demos: blend with fingers, paper stump, q-tips
- Create a painterly effect by thinning the oil pastel. You can draw with the pastels and then "paint" with them by dipping your brush in a solvent like linseed oil, paint thinner, vegetable oil, or baby oil
Acrylic Paint Pouring Techniques
Acrylic Paint Pouring and Cells Techniques:
"The Complete Acrylic Pouring Techniques Guide" Step by step, video demos, and supplies
"Acrylic Pouring techniques": techniques and a guide to supplies
Video: 22 Acrylic Pour Techniques
Video: Swirl Technique
Video: Dutch pour with acrylic and water
"The Complete Acrylic Pouring Techniques Guide" Step by step, video demos, and supplies
"Acrylic Pouring techniques": techniques and a guide to supplies
Video: 22 Acrylic Pour Techniques
Video: Swirl Technique
Video: Dutch pour with acrylic and water
Acrylic Painting Techniques Chart
Video Demo Techniques #1-4
Video demo Techniques #5-9
Video Demo Techniques #10-16
1. Opaque: An opaque paint mixture covers what is underneath it without permitting any of the underlying surface to show through. Many acrylic colors are opaque right out of the tube, but many are not. Black and purple are often transparent and will need to be mixed with another color to increase the opacity. *White is usually opaque. If added to other colors it lightens the color (creates a tint) and also increases the opacity of the color- unless you add water.
2. Transparent: Transparent paint application clearly reveals the surface below. You can see through it. To make paint more transparent, add water/dilute with water or paint medium.
Transparent technique can be used to create a soft blending of colors to emulate watercolors, create mist or fog, or add dimension with layers and layers of transparent washes.
3. Scumble: Scumbling is the process of applying thin layers of opaque paint. Drag or scrub an almost dry brush very lightly loaded with color over dried, previously painted layers.
4. Marbelize: Blending, mottling, and streaking of paint that resembles the veined texture of marble. Work wet into wet to blend and swirl colors. Paint lines or “veins” of white or other colors into wet paint, or dry paint. May even use other materials to streak and mottle like dragging a feather over wet paint.
Shaving Cream Marble Effect: Layer shaving cream in a shallow pan. Drizzle on paint and swirl around. (Use your finger, paintbrush handle, toothpick) Lay paper/canvas on top. Lift off slowly. Scrape off remaining cream. Let dry.
5. Wet into Wet: This is a blending method where colors and values are worked together (or fused together) by applying wet paint into wet paint. Wet the surface of the canvas first with water, or a 50/50 blend of water and medium. Apply your colors of paint and mist the paint on the canvas and on your palette often to keep it moist and workable. You can blend the paint colors gradually to get an even, graduated blend of color, or work with impasto strokes to get a brushy, textural effect. *Use several brushes of different colors (colors already mixed on the palette) so you can work fast, while the paint is wet.
6. Dry Brush: Dry brushing is a texturing technique where you drag or scrub wet paint over a dry surface using a brush with very little paint on it. This works great on textured surfaces like coarse canvas because the paint only adheres to the raised edges and does not seep into the recesses of the canvas—creating texture.* If your paint is too watery, or you apply too much paint, it will seep into the recesses of the canvas and look like a wash of smooth color—which you don’t want. Blot your brush on a towel or rag first.
7. Stipple: Stipple marks are dot-like. Dot your brush on the canvas. Repeat this over and over again to create texture, pattern, repetition, and/or soft blends. *A thin liner brush works best, or use the edge of larger brushes.
8. Hard Edge with Masking: Create hard or crisp edges by masking off dry areas of the canvas. Before you begin painting the rest of the canvas (not masked) paint over the masking tape with the same color paint you are protecting to prevent bleeding and let dry. Then paint the area you want a hard edge with. You can also paint over the masking tape with a clear medium to protect the masked area from bleeding and let dry. (If you are using a medium for all the paint, use the same medium to paint over the masking tape—ie, matte medium or gloss).
9. Stamping with paintbrush: Use the brush as a stamp. Dip the tip of the brush in the paint and apply to the canvas in a vertical motion as if stamping something. Repeat. Can also use the edge of the brush as a stamp.
10. Stamping with Sponge: Press the sponge into the paint on your palette (or load the sponge with paint) and press onto your canvas. Repeat to create texture and repetition.
11. Drag Sponge: Press the sponge into the paint on your palette (or load the sponge with paint) and then drag the sponge evenly and smoothly across your canvas. Creates texture and/or smooth blends of wet paint.
12. Drag Sponge with Irregular Motion: Press the sponge into the paint (or load the sponge with paint) and drag it in irregular motions across the canvas. Experiment with short, quick movements and long drags. Also experiment with light pressure and more firm pressure as you drag. Creates irregular blends of color, movement, and texture.
13. Scraping: Make thick, impasto brushstrokes. While the paint is still WET, scrape away some of the top layer to create texture and/or reveal the dry layer beneath. Use the tip of your palette knife for fine lines and the long edge to create broad sweeps.
14. Scratching: Using a utility knife, razor blade, exacto knife—when the paint is DRY, scratch away to create texture.
15. Abrading: Use sandpaper to remove dried paint from the painting. This creates soft edges between washes of color, and creates texture. Works best on layers of dried washes.
16. Dripping: Load your brush with watery paint and hold over the canvas to drip, or squeeze the brush with your fingers. Or, dribble and drip small amounts of paint from your palette (or jar) onto the canvas.
17. Splatter: Flick a stiff brush loaded with watery paint at the canvas. Also, flick the brush by running your thumb over the tip. Can also shake the loaded brush at the canvas, or hold another brush in between the loaded brush and the canvas, and tap the brush against the other in order to spatter the paint.
18. Non traditional paint applications: Make a new mark/new brush. Paint with a twig, feather, paper towels, eraser as a stamp, straw, thumbprint, …
19. Painting with texture: Add modeling paste, grout, or joint compound to your paint and make thick, visible paint strokes and texture
Video demo Techniques #5-9
Video Demo Techniques #10-16
1. Opaque: An opaque paint mixture covers what is underneath it without permitting any of the underlying surface to show through. Many acrylic colors are opaque right out of the tube, but many are not. Black and purple are often transparent and will need to be mixed with another color to increase the opacity. *White is usually opaque. If added to other colors it lightens the color (creates a tint) and also increases the opacity of the color- unless you add water.
2. Transparent: Transparent paint application clearly reveals the surface below. You can see through it. To make paint more transparent, add water/dilute with water or paint medium.
Transparent technique can be used to create a soft blending of colors to emulate watercolors, create mist or fog, or add dimension with layers and layers of transparent washes.
3. Scumble: Scumbling is the process of applying thin layers of opaque paint. Drag or scrub an almost dry brush very lightly loaded with color over dried, previously painted layers.
4. Marbelize: Blending, mottling, and streaking of paint that resembles the veined texture of marble. Work wet into wet to blend and swirl colors. Paint lines or “veins” of white or other colors into wet paint, or dry paint. May even use other materials to streak and mottle like dragging a feather over wet paint.
Shaving Cream Marble Effect: Layer shaving cream in a shallow pan. Drizzle on paint and swirl around. (Use your finger, paintbrush handle, toothpick) Lay paper/canvas on top. Lift off slowly. Scrape off remaining cream. Let dry.
5. Wet into Wet: This is a blending method where colors and values are worked together (or fused together) by applying wet paint into wet paint. Wet the surface of the canvas first with water, or a 50/50 blend of water and medium. Apply your colors of paint and mist the paint on the canvas and on your palette often to keep it moist and workable. You can blend the paint colors gradually to get an even, graduated blend of color, or work with impasto strokes to get a brushy, textural effect. *Use several brushes of different colors (colors already mixed on the palette) so you can work fast, while the paint is wet.
6. Dry Brush: Dry brushing is a texturing technique where you drag or scrub wet paint over a dry surface using a brush with very little paint on it. This works great on textured surfaces like coarse canvas because the paint only adheres to the raised edges and does not seep into the recesses of the canvas—creating texture.* If your paint is too watery, or you apply too much paint, it will seep into the recesses of the canvas and look like a wash of smooth color—which you don’t want. Blot your brush on a towel or rag first.
7. Stipple: Stipple marks are dot-like. Dot your brush on the canvas. Repeat this over and over again to create texture, pattern, repetition, and/or soft blends. *A thin liner brush works best, or use the edge of larger brushes.
8. Hard Edge with Masking: Create hard or crisp edges by masking off dry areas of the canvas. Before you begin painting the rest of the canvas (not masked) paint over the masking tape with the same color paint you are protecting to prevent bleeding and let dry. Then paint the area you want a hard edge with. You can also paint over the masking tape with a clear medium to protect the masked area from bleeding and let dry. (If you are using a medium for all the paint, use the same medium to paint over the masking tape—ie, matte medium or gloss).
9. Stamping with paintbrush: Use the brush as a stamp. Dip the tip of the brush in the paint and apply to the canvas in a vertical motion as if stamping something. Repeat. Can also use the edge of the brush as a stamp.
10. Stamping with Sponge: Press the sponge into the paint on your palette (or load the sponge with paint) and press onto your canvas. Repeat to create texture and repetition.
11. Drag Sponge: Press the sponge into the paint on your palette (or load the sponge with paint) and then drag the sponge evenly and smoothly across your canvas. Creates texture and/or smooth blends of wet paint.
12. Drag Sponge with Irregular Motion: Press the sponge into the paint (or load the sponge with paint) and drag it in irregular motions across the canvas. Experiment with short, quick movements and long drags. Also experiment with light pressure and more firm pressure as you drag. Creates irregular blends of color, movement, and texture.
13. Scraping: Make thick, impasto brushstrokes. While the paint is still WET, scrape away some of the top layer to create texture and/or reveal the dry layer beneath. Use the tip of your palette knife for fine lines and the long edge to create broad sweeps.
14. Scratching: Using a utility knife, razor blade, exacto knife—when the paint is DRY, scratch away to create texture.
15. Abrading: Use sandpaper to remove dried paint from the painting. This creates soft edges between washes of color, and creates texture. Works best on layers of dried washes.
16. Dripping: Load your brush with watery paint and hold over the canvas to drip, or squeeze the brush with your fingers. Or, dribble and drip small amounts of paint from your palette (or jar) onto the canvas.
17. Splatter: Flick a stiff brush loaded with watery paint at the canvas. Also, flick the brush by running your thumb over the tip. Can also shake the loaded brush at the canvas, or hold another brush in between the loaded brush and the canvas, and tap the brush against the other in order to spatter the paint.
18. Non traditional paint applications: Make a new mark/new brush. Paint with a twig, feather, paper towels, eraser as a stamp, straw, thumbprint, …
19. Painting with texture: Add modeling paste, grout, or joint compound to your paint and make thick, visible paint strokes and texture