Laraine’s Trees. DETAIL. Original watercolor by woody Hansen
(Click image to view entire painting)
This is a multi-layered piece with an emphasis on what is often referred to as calligraphy. The painting was accomplished in about two to four layers, with calligraphic marks added a various stages of the layering process. The watercolor was painted on location. I began with a small linear sketch (similar to a contour drawing) to which three values were established, the white of the paper, a mid value gray,, and a solid, or near solid, black. Using the value plan as a guide, I applied paint to the paper without any preliminary pencil or pen drawing. The shapes were blocked in first, after which calligraphic marks, or lines, were added to embellish and unify the composition.
As an aside, I am often amused and sometimes annoyed by those who maintain line should not be used in watercolor painting as if it were somehow akin to cheating. Worse yet are the confused who maintain artists should not use lines to delineate shapes because there are no lines in nature. It doesn’t take much intelligence to realize the fallacy of that kind of thinking. These poor souls, and societies, are illogical thinkers, apparently ignorant of, or choose to ignore the Elements and Principles of Design as well as basic art history.
The subject material for Laraine’s Trees is located along the American River in Sacramento, Calif. For those who care, the exact location is near the Watt Avenue entrance to the American River Parkway, about two to four city blocks west of the boat ramp at the west end of the parking area.
I did an earlier painting, Nature’s Bridge based on the sane subject matter. That painting can be seen on my web site here.
#1 by Russell on April 18th, 2010
Quote
Hi Woody,
Well said. Though there may be no actual “lines” in nature (outlines surrounding things), we are not reproducing or copying nature. We are making a painting! Duh.
Some artists just don’t get this concept, I guess.
As such, dots, lines, i.e. marks are all shapes (Ed Whitney). If it (something in nature) looks like a line, then its a line. A line is a very useful thing. Though we may put down blobs of paint to stand in for houses, trees, rocks, etc., its the calligraphy (or line work) that tells us what that blob of paint means.
Keep painting your lines. I always enjoy the way you use them.
Best,
Russell