Why Ian Fennelly chooses these colors in his Wild West Urban Sketching Course

Urban Sketch Course

13 Aug 202402:36

Summary

TLDRIn this watercolor workshop, the artist introduces the materials used for painting a ranch scene. The brushes include a variety of flats and riggers, suitable for different painting techniques. The artist will use Winsor & Newton paints, with a color palette consisting of warm and cool blues, cobalt turquoise, burnt sienna, and raw umber. The focus is on balancing color temperature and achieving a range of tones through the use of water, emphasizing the importance of water in creating dynamic effects and textures in watercolor painting.

Takeaways

🎨 The workshop is focused on watercolor painting with a specific theme of a ranch.
🖌️ The artist uses a variety of brushes including large, medium, and small flats, as well as big and small riggers.
🔵 The color palette includes a warm blue (ultramarine), a cold blue (cerulean), cobalt turquoise, burnt sienna, and raw umber.
🌡️ The colors are balanced in temperature with three cool and two warm colors, allowing for a range of tones.
⚖️ Ultramarine and burnt sienna are complementary colors, which can be mixed to create neutral gray values.
🏠 The gray values are particularly useful for depicting the corrugated iron roof of the ranch.
🌳 Burnt sienna and raw umber are suggested for the tree, with the potential addition of cobalt turquoise for green hues.
💧 The importance of water is emphasized for mixing colors and creating various shades and effects.
🎭 The artist plans to demonstrate the use of water to push color around the surface, suggesting a dynamic painting process.
🌈 The artist intends to avoid overly green colors, preferring to keep the palette in line with the 'Wild West' theme.
👀 The audience is encouraged to observe the frequency of brush dipping in water as a key technique in the demonstration.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the workshop being described in the transcript?
-The main focus of the workshop is watercolor painting, specifically painting a scene of a ranch.
What types of brushes does the instructor mention using in the workshop?
-The instructor mentions using a range of brushes including large, medium, and small flats, as well as big and small riggers.
What is the purpose of using different sizes of flat brushes?
-Different sizes of flat brushes are used for various purposes: large flats for broad expanses of color, medium flats for moderate areas, and small flats for detailed work.
What are the specific types of rigger brushes mentioned, and what are they typically used for?
-The instructor mentions using a big rigger and two small riggers, which are typically used for drawing and detailing.
What are the paint colors the instructor plans to use for the ranch scene?
-The instructor plans to use two blues (warm and cold), cobalt turquoise, burnt sienna, and raw umber.
Why are ultramarine and burnt sienna considered complementary colors?
-Ultramarine and burnt sienna are considered complementary because they are opposite each other on the color wheel, and when mixed, they can create neutral gray values.
How does the instructor plan to use the color cobalt turquoise in the painting?
-The instructor plans to use cobalt turquoise for the trees, possibly mixing it with raw umber to achieve green values, but not too much to avoid an overly green appearance.
What is the significance of using water in watercolor painting as demonstrated in the workshop?
-Water is significant in watercolor painting as it allows for the manipulation of pigments to create a range of tones and to push color around the surface, adding to the fluidity and expressiveness of the artwork.
How does the balance of cool and warm colors in the instructor's palette contribute to the painting?
-The balance of cool and warm colors helps to create depth and contrast in the painting, enhancing the visual appeal and realism of the ranch scene.
What is the instructor's approach to mixing colors in the watercolor painting process?
-The instructor's approach involves using the pigments with water to achieve a wide range of tones, and carefully mixing colors like cobalt turquoise with raw umber to create specific color values without overpowering the scene with green.
Why does the instructor emphasize the importance of watching the brush-dipping process in the demonstration?
-The instructor emphasizes the importance of watching the brush-dipping process to understand how water is used to control the application of color and to create various effects on the paper, which is a key technique in watercolor painting.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Watercolor Workshop Introduction

The speaker begins by introducing the watercolor workshop, emphasizing the materials to be used. They present a variety of brushes, including large, medium, and small flats, as well as big and small riggers, explaining their uses for different painting techniques. The speaker also introduces the paints, all from Windsor & Newton, and lists the colors to be used: two blues (warm and cold), cobalt turquoise, burnt sienna, and raw umber. The importance of color balance and temperature is highlighted, with an explanation of how these colors can be mixed to achieve various tones and values, especially for the ranch's corrugated iron roof and the tree. The speaker also hints at the importance of water usage in watercolor painting, promising a demonstration of its application throughout the workshop.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Watercolor

Watercolor refers to a painting method that uses water-soluble pigments. It is characterized by its fluidity and the ability to create delicate, transparent effects. In the video, the artist is preparing to demonstrate watercolor painting techniques, which is the main theme of the workshop.

💡Brushes

Brushes are essential tools for applying paint in various art forms. The script mentions different types of brushes such as 'huge big massive giant Flats,' 'medium flats,' 'baby flat,' 'big rigger,' and 'small riggers.' Each brush type is suited for different painting techniques, from broad washes to fine details.

💡Washes

A wash in painting is a broad area of flat color, usually thin and transparent, applied to create a background or to set a mood. The script mentions 'baby flat' brushes as being great for 'washes of color,' indicating their use for applying large areas of color smoothly.

💡Riggers

Rigger brushes are characterized by their long, thin bristles and are typically used for fine lines and detail work. The script specifies 'big rigger' and 'small riggers,' suggesting the artist will use these for more detailed parts of the watercolor painting.

💡Flats

Flat brushes have broad, flat bristles and are used for applying large areas of color or creating sharp edges. The artist mentions using 'flats' for 'big expanses of color,' which is crucial for the ranch scene depicted in the video.

💡Pigments

Pigments are the colored substances used in paints that provide the color. The script mentions using pigments to achieve a 'great range of tone,' highlighting the importance of pigments in creating depth and variation in a watercolor painting.

💡Complimentary Colors

Complimentary colors are pairs of colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. When mixed, they can neutralize each other, creating a gray or neutral color. The script refers to 'ultramarine and burnt sienna' as complimentary, which the artist plans to mix to achieve 'wonderful gray values' in the painting.

💡Cobalt Turquoise

Cobalt turquoise is a specific shade of blue-green that is often used in art for its vibrant color. The artist mentions using 'Cobalt turquoise' to capture the color of the tree in the ranch scene, showing how specific pigments can be used to represent natural elements.

💡Burnt Sienna

Burnt sienna is a dark brown pigment derived from the mineral iron oxide. It is used in the script to describe one of the colors for the ranch painting, likely for adding depth and warmth to the scene.

💡Raw Umber

Raw umber is a pigment that ranges from yellowish-brown to greenish-brown. It is mentioned in the script as a color that might be mixed with 'Cobalt turquoise' to create green values, although the artist wants to avoid too much green in this particular painting.

💡Use of Water

The use of water is a key aspect of watercolor painting, as it affects the transparency, blending, and flow of the pigments. The script emphasizes the importance of water by noting how often the artist 'dips the brush just in the water,' indicating its role in manipulating the paint on the surface.

Highlights

Introduction of watercolor workshop with a range of brushes for different techniques.

Use of large, medium, and small flat brushes for washes and expanses of color.

Utilization of big and small rigger brushes for detailed drawing.

Combination of different brushes for varied painting effects.

Selection of Winsor & Newton paints for their quality.

Inclusion of two blues - warm and cold - for color temperature balance.

Use of ultramarine as the warm blue and cerulean as the cold blue.

Incorporation of cobalt turquoise to represent the trees' color.

Addition of burnt sienna and raw umber for earthy tones.

Explanation of color theory with cool and warm colors for balance.

Mixing ultramarine and burnt sienna to create neutral gray values.

Application of color theory to achieve various tones using water.

Creating green values by mixing cobalt turquoise with raw umber.

Intention to avoid excessive green to differentiate from other workshops.

Emphasis on the importance of water usage in watercolor painting.

Demonstration of brush-dipping technique to manipulate water on canvas.

Encouragement to observe the artist's water usage throughout the demo.

Invitation to enjoy the creative process and have fun with watercolors.