Classes

White Bear Center for the Arts
4971 Long Avenue
White Bear Lake, MN (map)

Workshops

Color & Design in Watercolor
September 23-25, 2021
Central Minnesota Watercolorists
St. Cloud, Minnesota

Lisa’s step by step process will put you at ease as you learn how to loosen up and feel confident in approaching a watercolor painting. Learn how to paint a realistic watercolor landscape painting from the planning stages to completion while focusing on the design principles. Lisa will also show you how to fix and finish old paintings that you feel have not been successful. Personal critiques will help guide you through the process with ease.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Snowy Trail Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Starting at the top with a graded wash, continue down the page with the sky color into foliage shapes and colors. Continue the same wash into snow and indicate the path.
Let dry. When the first wash is almost dry, go back into the foliage area and apply another layer of paint. This will cause some interesting shapes called rumbacks. Change the color also to make it interesting.


When this is dry, indicate trees, varying the color, size and shape. Once you have the trees in place, show shadow shapes from the base of the trees, with a blue and burnt sienna color. The shadows will follow the contour of the ground.
When this wash is dry, start to shade the trees, keeping in mind where your light source is coming from. Add branches onto the trees and some dead foliage in the snow.


The last step is analyzing the values. The value is darker on the path than the snow.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Sunrise Watercolor






Start with these reference images:

This will be a wet into wet technique. Wet the entire paper with clean water. Starting at the top of the page use blue hues and then go into yellow. Do not mix a lot or your colors will turn green. Add red and yellow to make an orange; add a little ultramarine blue, alizeran crimson and cobalt blue to the bottom of the page. Using a paper towel, dap out the sun area. Let dry.
We are going to repeat the first process again but using more pigments, and this time your paper is dry. Go back in with a thirsty brush and pick up some colors for the reflection of the sun. Again dap out the area on the sun while the pigment is still wet. Let dry.
I wanted a little more yellow in the sky area, so I again went in and glazed over the previous wash. Let dry. Show the horizon line with a darker value, softening the edge on the bottom. Paint the trees and rocks in the foreground area, making the colors warmer near the light source (the sun). Show some motion in the water by adding darker values and keeping the edges soft. Show the tree branches on top by keeping the colors warmer near the sun and cooler as they recede. Add some foliage. Let dry.

Waterfalls Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Starting with the background and at the top of the page, use blue hues for the sky, and continue down the page into the foliage areas, using a variety of greens and yellow ochre. Start to sculpt out the shape of the waterfall, negatively. Add rock colors and while the pigments are still wet apply a piece of wax paper on top. Using a credit card scratch out some birch tree trunks in the background. Soften the edges of the rocks with clean water. Let dry.


We are not going to start the second wash with our middle values on the value scale. Start defining tree shapes, using your value study with positive and negative shapes. Leave the lights in some areas from your first wash. Put in the background evergreen trees with a lighter value to show the tree is further back in the woods. Indicate the water area. Let dry.


Our final wash will be using our dark values, putting the shadows on the trees on the bottom of the branches. Start to define the shapes in the rock forms, softening the edges as you go. Start to build up the values in the water, keeping the values on the lighter side of the value scale, with soft edges. When the waterfall hits the flat water, carry the white shapes horizontally to show it's a flat surface. Let dry.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Northern Woods Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Start at the top of the page with blue hues, adding water as you progress down the page. Indicate the horizon line with some burnt sienna and yellow ochre. Look at your value study and leave the light values by adding water in that area. Let dry.


Now add the evergreen tree, paying attention to the negative and positive shapes that you will be creating. Use yellow and blue hues: lighter values in the background, more intense as you come forward. Anchor the tree shapes with shadows. Shadows tell the viewer if the land is flat or rough. Soften edges in the background. Let dry.


Our last wash will consist of putting in the foreground trees. The trunks of the trees are thicker at the base. Then take the side of a credit card and scratch out the light side of the tree. Add branches and twigs. Darken your foreground value to lead the viewer's eye into the picture plane.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Itasca State Park Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Our first wash is going to consist of putting in the local hues in the composition. Starting with the background, indicate the sky area and continue along the foreground foliage.
Continue down the page indicating the water areas and the land areas. Using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, show the rock area. While the pigment is still wet, lay a piece of wax paper over the pigment and let dry. When you remove the wax paper you will have some interesting textures.


Now we will be using our middle range values - same colors as above, but more pigments and less water. Show some tree forms and shapes in the background area. Paint the evergreen tree in the foreground and add some grasses. Paint negatively on some of the rock forms, softening the edges as you go. Glaze over the water while leaving some areas of your first wash showing through. Let dry.

Our last wash will consist of our darker values (use sparingly). Indicate a couple of tree forms in the far background, and show a shadow side to the evergreen tree. Use a credit card to scratch out some grasses growing in the water and on land. Using a scrubber brush, bring back some of the light on the top of the rocks. Show a reflection in the water from the evergreen tree.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Willow Tree Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Starting at the top of the page work your way down with the local hues. Indicate the water with the sky color. Keep your values light. Let dry.


Indicate the background trees with a darker value. Start to sculpt out the pine trees on the left and the willow tree on the right. Show a reflection in the water of the trunks and go over the water with a darker value, letting some of the original wash show through. Let dry.


Using your dark values now go in and accent your dark areas, referring to your value study. Show a shadow on the ground from your light source. Use a credit card to show some grassy areas in the foreground and on the pine trees. Darken your values in the water also - soften the edges.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Grand Marais Watercolor

Start with these reference images:



Start painting background to foreground on the composition. Using a blue hue indicate the top of the sky. Come down adding water to your brush and a slight amount of red or pink. Come down to the horizon line. Let dry.


Start to show the tree shapes using your value study to indicate your light values. Show the local hue of the foreground with different colors. While the pigment is still wet, apply saran wrap or wax paper. Let dry.

When you remove your wax or saran paper you will see some nice textures that the papers created. Using your middle values now, indicate your shapes from your value study with mid-values hues - similar colors, but darker values. Let dry.


Show a horizon line with a darker value than the sky. Carry down that color trying not to cover up all of your first wash. Using your dark values bring out those dark shapes with a variety of colors. Using a rigger brush show some dead branches and some brush.