WATERCOLOR PAINTING IN PRACTICE

painting a seascape in watercolors

Fig. 408-This dark wash, the
reflection of the boats on the
sea, was painted quickly and
decisively, clarifying the bound-
aries of the bottom part of the
picture, while deliberately leav-
ing a number of small white
areas in the interior Most im-
portant,is that he painted wet-

m-wet, diversified the color with

different shades, mixing on the
paper itself with ultramarine.
dark sienna, carmine...

408

Fig.409— At a specific mo-

blue color. Finally, he drains the brush, absorb- ment, before this dark area has
ing the water and color, allowing the white to dried, Gaspar Romero finds his
lamp, lights and brings close
it. it

appear on the paper. He uses the same brush to the painting to accelerate
and technique to "open up" the white of the his drawing, it is an original
trick., which has its risk.
searchlight lamp on the top of the boat in the
center.

Fourth stage: a transitional phase (Fig. 407)

The decisive moment for the painting is draw-
409
ing near. Soon Gaspar Romero will have to
finish the reflections of the boats in the water water he has been using all along, he dampens
with a few brushstrokes. If it comes out well, the zone corresponding to the reflections, with
fine; but if it comes out wrong... For that the result that since the dirty water is light
reason he works more slowly now, looking at gray, he can see and reserve the white forms
the water again and again, noticing unimpor- corresponding to the actual reflections of the
tant shapes details. He works on the right
and boats, while drawing the lower profile, the
side a and then the dark base of the
little bit, capricious shapes of the water in the fore-
pier. He looks again at the water and finishes ground, etc. He follows with ultramarine blue,
the ship in the shipyard, painting the dock in a little Sienna and a touch of carmine, forming
the left foreground... he stops. a blued gray that he applies to the zone he has
already dampened, working rapidly: adding
Fifth stage: the big risk (Fig. 408) color here, absorbing a little there, lightly
"You'll risk it, I ask him.
right?" varying the nuances.
"Of course, but have to throw myself into the
I

water without fear," he answers, smiling. "Nice job, Gaspar. You did it!" (Fig. 410)
And so Gaspar bravely "jumps in." Using a Afterwards, with a flat no. 10 brush of synthe-
rounded no. 24 brush, with the slightly dirty tic hair, he "opens up" the sinuous whites

168
 WATERCOLOR PAINTING IN PRACTICE

410

corresponding to the reflections of the light- Sixth and last stage: finishing Fig. 41 0-This is the final stage
of the painting— but watch wii.it
colored masts, painting the reflection of the And he does it. First he waits for the dark wash
the does: he darkens the
artist
mast on the foreground white, darkening the of the ocean to dry, (speeding up the drying bright reflections of the boats

reflection of the boat in the left foreground process by holding a cigarette lighter flame up on the sea. ("the reflection is
always darker than the color of
and... "That's it, right?" I ask. "Not yet," says to the damp part. "It's a little bit risky, but the form which is reflected")
Gaspar, "the reflections of the boats are too nothing will happen... if I do it right." When it and with water straight out of
light, they look like holes, they must be dark- is dry he paints these nuances which conscien-
the container (and somewh.it
dirty), he makes a number of
ened. Reflections are always darker than the tiously flee the uniform gray regularity. And brushstrokes which result in .1
actual color of the reflected object." still he paints, setting in the foreground, light very bright gray color, on tl 1

white paper in the foreground

color stains representing the movement of the to represent the slight undula-
water. tions of the sea.

"Now it's done," he says, and signs his name.

169
WATERCOLOR PAINTING IN PRACTICE

painting an illustration in watercolors

Maria Rius is a famous illustrator with chil-
dren's books published in many countries.
She paints watercolors with liquid, transparent
colors, using the white of the paper. Although
her technique not exactly that of the "pure"
is

watercolorist, her way of solving problems,

her methods and procedures— including her
tricks— I believe justify including her work in
this book.
Maria Rius's palette of liquid watercolors, cov-
ers the whole color gamut— 18 colors in all
—and of a specific trademark. She prefers
all

a line of colors called "pastel" paints which

reflect the gentleness and bright luminosity of
pastel colors. She uses high quality fine grain
paper, about 300 grams. She paints with three
brushes of marten hair: nos. 8 and 10 for the
overall painting, and a no. 3 for the small
details. She uses two water containers, one for
the first rinsing, and the other with cleaner
water, for complete washing, absorbing colors,
411
etc. Lastly, as is the case with all modern illus-

trators,Maria Rius uses the airbrush to fill in

Fig. 41 1- (Above) The table of
and resolve backdrops, blendings and gradu- the illustrator Maria Rius with
ating tones, and for large areas of uniform two water receptacles on the
right-hand side, the bottles of
color. The illustration created especially foi
liquid watercolor, and the por-
this book does not correspond to a particular celain dishes which the artist
story or theme. simply requested a creative
I
uses as a palette

illustration, and Maria Rius created a free im-

age—for once without the conditions imposed
by the editor!" She has imagined an activity
which everybody, children and adults, have
dreamed of doing at least once: the act of
flying! Congratulations Maria!

The technique
The classic watercolor demands cleanness,
will countenance only limited use of erasing,
prohibits dirtiness, smudgy fingerprints, or
muddying of the tones which might cause
alterations in color or stains. This type of
care should be taken to a rigorous, antiseptic
extreme for the art of illustration. The rubber
eraser is forbidden; the pencil foundation draw-
ing must be very light to avoid showing through
the applied watercolor. A small drop of water
or saliva on a uniform background damages
the illustration; one has towork with a paper
under the working hand so the palm will not
dirty the work that has been done, or the white
paper.
These precautions start as soon as the drawing
begins. The professional illustrator never draws
directly on the of art. Rather, on a
final piece
Fig. 41 2- A first projection,
separate sheet of paper, she studys the compo- drawn in pencil on ordin.
412
sition, the pose, the attitudes and expressions paper

170