JUNE 2ND - SUE SAREEN - VIBRANT WATERCOLOURS
Our Chair opened the meeting with some announcements in connection with the FLAIR exhibition and with our new website, www.redditchartcircle.co.uk . The website is now operational and, as well as providing Art Circle information, members will be able to display their work on the “Member’s Art” pages. Sue Sareen was introduce to give her talk and demonstration on “Vibrant Watercolour” and was thanked for bringing forward her visit because of the altered arrangement with our planned speaker.Sue started by stressing the importance of light and shade in the production of a satisfying watercolour painting. Without the contrast that this provides, a painting can be technically sound but will be flat and uninteresting. She painted a tonal demonstration picture of a sidelit white pot to illustrate her technique, three gradations of grey were used and the highlights were reserved with masking fluid. As she applied her grey tones, working from light to dark, she discussed the selection of appropriate greys. Ready mixed greys are available but more subtle tones can be obtained by mixing the three primary colours or two of the complementary colours. Sue moved on to show the same tonal technique in painting a portrait head of a young boy, this was based on a reference photograph which showed the subject strongly sidelit to reveal the modelling of the features. She explained each step as she progressed, with advice on the treatment of the each of the features, finishing the portrait by showing how the choice of background tones can enhance the painting.
Sue used a reference photograph of some flowers for her colour demonstration painting. The flowers and foliage were in an earthenware pot set against a background of room features and a tiled floor. A drawing had been prepared for the painting and, again Sue proceeded to paint from light to dark but now, of course, taking account of the tonal values of her colours. She advised the use of a large brush and stressed the need to keep the painting loose and uncluttered with detail, making the point that the objective was to produce a lively, colourful picture rather than a botanical illustration. The palest colours of the flowers, foliage and pot were painted in and allowed to dry. As she developed the painting with increasingly darker-toned colours, she explained that the darker tones should not be attempted by the addition of grey to the original colour. Grey is itself a mixture of two or three colours so the complex mixture can result in an unsatisfactory dull and opaque colour. Sue showed how the pale toned colours can be modified by the addition of a darker toned version of the same colour, a good example was the lightest pale pink of the flowers being modified by the addition of rose madder. The modelling shadows on the pot and the various cast shadows were painted in as the picture neared completion, the shadow colour being carefully chosen and a colour in it’s own right rather than a devalued version of the local colour. Sue finished painting at this point and invited questions from the audience. There was a good response and, in the course of the ensuing discussion, Sue summarised the importance of having good directional lighting of the subject to give the desired wide tonal range. At the close of the meeting the audience showed its appreciation for this most informative and entertaining presentation.
David Price
