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Kettlehead — Aha
Published: 2011-02-14 20:26:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 415; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 10
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For AP Studio Art Portfolio. [link]It's ... the visual depiction of an epiphany? Hey man I don't know.
I kind of suck at watercolors and their ilk, so if anyone happens to rock the socks off of watercolor and is staring at this in disgusted pity, please comment and educate my poor intelligence-starved soul. (I'm smiling at you suggestively, .)
I've got a load of these that I never really got a chance to scan. I'll need to now, since they have to be digital. So you might see more of them soon, perhaps maybe.
Please help in the campaign against balloon racism. [link]
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Comments: 16
I have no idea how you can come up with something so creative when you just have the instruction of making a visual representation of an epiphany! 
I see that subtle hint for me to comment about the watercolor! 
Everyone else's thought-balloons are so arbitrary and almost depressing, it really sends a message to take a look around and enjoy your surrounding beauty. You know, to look up once in a while 
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Hahaa, you're very kind, but I wasn't thinking outside the box; they didn't instruct us to give a visual representation of an epiphany, they just asked for something with circles in it.
(Not sure where this ties into circles but heyyyy)
Yes. My powers of subtlety know no bounds...
Uh-huh. That's probably just because you haven't TRIED it yet. Messy weather is so much easier than cleaner weather, I honestly felt like I was cheating!
Thanks a bunch though.
Like, for example, value -- should I add grayscale value first or leave it till after I put color? Oh the mystery.
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well, that makes you even more creative, not less. I could have never thought of that by using just circles. Where does this creativity come from?!
If you want some watercolor tips, I could give you some advice and links but I'm completely serious when I say you seem to have a handle on it. ^^
Ok, so the first thing to know about watercolor is using a 'wash'. Its the most useful tool and you can pretty much do anything with it and make it look like you know how to control watercolor well. here's a tutorial that shows it really simply: [link]
You should always lay a wash of a very light color, like a cream or very light beige, over your entire paper before putting any other color. Even a little hint of color over the white paper helps to connect all the other colors you are going to lay down. Nothing too dark though!
(like for copying photographs, I find the absolute lightest color in the photo and do a wash of that color to start. watercolor always works light to dark, it's very tough to pull out paint once it's down)
I found this website that shows a lot of the techniques I use if you want to take a look and try some. I've used the alcohol and salt before but it didn't work well for me. I should really try again. [link]
All of the tutorials on the left hand column are what I use the most but you may find the other ones really interesting for your style of work.
I don't use gray scale at all actually. I just work layering light colors over and over again until I get the right shade. Block out all shapes first, again in a wash, of the color the object is going to be but a very light version of it. Keep adding on top of that and add in other colors using the wet on wet technique. Let me know if this helps at all! I know it's a lot of information but I don't know how much you know...it seems like you already know quite a bit
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:I
That was my stop-making-it-seem-like-I'M-the-one-who-is-creative face. You are just as if not more creative than me! Don't sell yourself short.
Thanks so soso much, this is really awesome! 
I know some of this! Yesss. The wash I know a bit about -- although honestly I've never tried one legitly, hehe. I should do that, it's a good idea to have a connecting wash at the beginning, makes a good deal of sense.
Yes, light to dark, although I found some goauche (sp?) tubes, which are like watercolor but thicker so I could conceivably put in some highlights. (cheating cheating ohoho)I also usually work background-to-foreground, although I don't know if this is a good idea but it works alright.
But do you know if grayscale-to-color actually works on watercolor? That would be two seperate dried layers, and for watercolor that seems a bit thick. I should try it...just to see...
Thanks duuude you've been super helpful! I wish I could look over your shoulder while you are doing your work too, but that would be sort of creepy so nevermind
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Doing one base wash really helps a lot. Everything should consist of just simple light washes at he beginning, just over shapes and work over the top.
I have used Gauche before, but it remind me of acrylic so I tend to shy away from it.
I use watercolor from the tubes for all my work actually, but I just use it as watercolor. Background to foreground works well, but you can jump around it you have objects outlines in ink or pen.
I haven't used gray-scale but my first instinct would be that it wouldn't work. Watercolor will take on the characteristic of the colors underneath it at times so it may alter the color more than you want. But give it a try sometime and let me know how it goes! It would be really interesting to try.
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Gnar. Curses, foiled again.
I actually tried it on this piece recently. It's a good idea, but I think I need to get a bit darker with it, I'm such a coward haha. Plus it buckles the paper like you wouldn't believe, I might have to stretch it first like you're actually SUPPOSED to...
You don't like acrylic? Hehe, is it just a bad history or is thick paint just not your thing?
I use cakes...they're more portable and cheaper usually. Argh I feel my starving artist instincts stirring
I will, I'll tell you how it goes. c:
Aw, that would be so awesome...If you decide to, you'd better give me a link!
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The gray-scale looks really good in this piece. I've never actually done a watercolor in gray before. (I have in sepia using tea as you've probably noticed 
Watercolor does strange things to paper and you tend to get what you pay for in term of paper weight...unfortunately. If you spend more than 2 or 3 hours on one piece I would really recommend stretching it. You'll find it to be well worth it. The constant water absorbsion and drying bends the paper like you wouldn't believe and is even worse when you do washes. Plus, I always have trouble with the water pooling in places I don't want because it doesn't stay flat.
For my quicker projects though, like some of the tea work, I don't bother stretching because it's too much effort for the time I'm spending on it so I just tape it down on a board.
There's just something about acrylic that I've never liked.
The cakes for watercolor really work fine so don't worry about that. I'm pretty cheap too 
Maybe I will plan some tutorials soon! And sorry for the longer message ^^
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Haha yes, I'd love to do one in sepia! It's my favorite color scheme; gray is morose and boring. And thanks, I hoped that it would match the piece and not look lazy. XD
Me too! The paint runs into these little pockets, I hate that. I've never tried stretching before, but it seems a bit scary, to soak your paper liberally in water beforehand...I confess I have been a bit of a wimp whenever I think about it...
Yes, that's what I do. It doesn't always work...The tape never makes it lie completely flat...Oh well. It looks real professional when you do it!
I would love to try it, but I empathize with the mess. Gouache and watercolor are so easy, you can whip em out anywhere....with oils, it takes a good hour to set up and it smells to high heaven.
No problem, sorry I take so long with comments! And ooooh please, I would love a step-by-step from you, although you're busier now so don't feel pressured or anything.
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It's not that I don't like balloons. It's just that they're so... helium-y.
Watercolors are hard, yes, but I think you did WONDERFULLY here~ I like the whole thing, and the main balloon is simply adorable.
Would you happen to know the song Aha! by Imogen Heap?
OH BUGGER, THAT INCEPTION CAT.
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You hydrogen fans. I shall never understand your blatant, undisguised heliumism.
Really? Daaw thanks! I'm so bad at value, I tend to stay very light....that's why I'm staring enviously at your most recent work.
Did you happen NOT to click the link next to the first sentence? You DIDN'T?! Imagine!
Haha. Yeah, this was kind of based off of that song kindofnotreallybutmaybe. That is one of those few songs that I love enough to keep listening to years after I discover them.
Do you see the truth
DO YOU SEE IT
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You're bad at value? Well, that's your cue to practice! In some art pieces, in the appropriate spots, some extra-dark shadows can make the different between art and a thing that POPS out at you, yes!
(Though, looking at this again, I think your value's just fine. There are just some missing/too light shadows here and there for, say, under the umbrellas or between people)
...
NO I DID NOT LOOK AT THAT LINK
I wasn't aware that link existed!
I'd only seen the last one, which I assumed might have been the Aha! video, but it WASN'T.
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Yeah, that's true! I've been in 2D Design for a while now -- this art isn't recent -- and I think I'm getting better at it. Being in an actual art class really helps a lot, it's a new experience for me.
(Agh those umbrellas)
(They're fearfully wrong but oh so fun to paint)
IMAGINE.
Naw, 's cool, I hate dropping links. I wish I could attach links to a word like you see sometimes! I know it's possible but I have no idea how.
My favorite song of Imogen Heap.
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WORD YOU WANT TO USE
With less spaces, of course.
Like this, man.
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Crap!
