Masterclass, One-on-one, April 1st 2023

Tim, Welcome to your Masterclass Program! This where you'll find videos, additional information, and any other inspired material to support you on your journey. You'll receive an email whenever there is an update. Please bookmark this page, and refresh your browser to see what's new.

Below is a video showing how to prepare an underdrawing using the light-box method. Your paper should be no more than 150 lb so the light can pass through it easily. If you don't have a light-box you can make one with a large cardboard box, a light source such as an aluminum clip-on light, and a piece of glass or frosted plexiglass placed on top. You can also use a sunny window to do the same thing. Consider making the drawing several times with plain white copy paper to familiarize yourself with the process and your subject matter.

Paper
You can use what you have to get started. I like Arches Hot press, and Cold press, and the in between surface of Fabriano Soft-Press. All around 150 lb.

Brushes
I'll be using a no.6 or 8 Silver Black Velvet paintbrush. Details here.

Paint
Use what you have to get started, and we'll talk about paint when we meet.

For more clarity, I've added some contrast to the photo above. You can use this for reference and/or your drawing.

Underdrawing size 5x7 inches (above)

Underdrawing size 6x9 inches (above)

Under drawing from session demo on April 1st, 2023 (above)

Beginning to paint from session demo on April 8th, 2023 (above)

Continuation: From painting session on April 15th, 2023 (above)

This is my current Yellow palette from left to right:

• Hansa Yellow Medium (DS)
• New Gamboge (DS)
• Indian Yellow (WN)
• Cadmium Yellow Med (DS)
• Aureolin Yellow (DS)
• Azo Yellow (DS)

This is my current Blue palette from left to right:

• Turquoise, Sleeping Beauty Mine (DS)
• Indigo (DS)
• Manganese Blue Hue (DS)
• Indanthrone Blue (DS)
• Prussian Blue (DS)
• Thalo Blue, red shade (DS)
• Cobalt Blue (DS)
• French Ultramarine Blue (DS)

These are my current other palettes from left to right, clockwise from the top of each:

1
• Perylene Red (DS)
• Pyrrol Scarlet (DS)
• Quin Rose (DS)
• Permanent orange
• Rhondonite (DS)
• Quin Pink (DS)
• Quin Coral (DS)
• Perylene Scarlet (DS)

2
• Perylene Green (DS)
• Thalo Green (DS)
• Viridian Green
• Indian Red (DS)
• Perylene Violet (DS)
• Quin Purple (DS)
• (Viridian Green)
• Yellow Ochre (DS)

3
• Paynes Gray (DS)
• Burnt Umber (DS)
—
• Quin Burnt Orange (DS)
—
—
• Italian Burnt Sienna (DS)
• Sepia (DS)

A great reference to have is the Daniel Smith Watercolor Color Chart (above). Click the link to download it and you'll be able to enlarge it to see it better.

And here's a link to other interesting charts on the Daniel Smith site. Compare colors, learn about their physical properties, and choose/use accordingly. I use mostly single pigments and mix them directly on my palette. DS combinations are also worth looking at. They're designed to achieve certain effects you might want to experiment with. I also use Winsor Newton, but I mostly prefer Daniel Smith which are richer in pigment to medium ratio.

Another worthwhile reference I came across recently, download the Daniel Smith Watercolor Stories PDF here. This document has a detailed written description for each color and its characteristics.

I used very small amounts of the following colors to achieve subtle mixes that were primarily one color. You could easily use just there or four, but it’s more interesting when you really start to see, to mirror that with your color mixes.

Perylene Red (DS)
Indigo (DS)
Quin Rose (DS)
Quin Pink (DS)
Perylene Violet (DS)
Thalo Green (DS)
Perylene Green (DS)
Hansa Yellow (DS)Permanent orange (DS)