Watercolor Workshop with Judi Betts

Art Seminar with Judi Betts

Day one of the workshop is done, and I am having breakfast prior to leaving for class on day two.  The majority of the morning on the first day was taken up with introductions of Judi and of the participants in the seminar.  However, even then, I took some valuable lessons away with me. 

First, I am so starting my Art Journal.  When did these come into existence and where was I.  Each and every person in the class had an Art Journal, of course, I had to peek into a few.  Everything is in them; notes, pencil sketches, ink renderings, full blown watercolors, a picture, a dab of color.....I just love these. 

Judi told a story of when she was in Japan taking classes.  She was drawing the sky, and her instructor said, "yes, you drew the sky but, now draw the wind in the sky."  Interesting dilemma! 

Judi demonstrates

I have read many, many books on watercoloring, watercolor mixtures, paints etc.  and a resounding theme is to work with a limited palette.  The suggestion from Judi (and again, I have read these in several different books) is to have a palette of 9 colors with a possibility of 11.  So in other words work in "triads" - each triad being made up of one red, one blue and one yellow.  Any additional colors, should be attained from mixing those three colors together. 

The first triad is called the Desert Triad and it is made up of Yellow Ochre, Indian Red and Cerulean Blue this is also known as the "earthy triad".  The second triad is called Transparent Triad and uses Cobalt Blue, Rose Matter, and Aurelian Yellow. The last and final triad is called the Staining Triad and it has Windsor Red, Windsor Blue, and Windsor Yellow.  In addition to these 9 colors, you may also consider adding a Black, Cadimum Orange and Permanent or Brilliant Orange. 

Today, was spent learning the Variation on a Checkerboard underpainting.  In essence you place uneven, slanting vertical and Horizontal lines creating a different size squares on your paper.  Or you can place wavey slanting vertical and horizontal lines.  Once this is done, you must decide whether your painting will be a warm painting (think fire; red, orange, yellow) or cool painting (think water; blues and greens) or grey (made by mixing the colors of your triad.)  Once this is determined, you then begin filling some of the outlying square on your checkerboard, with variations of the colors you have chosen always staying within the range of the traid.  Judi suggested you should aim to never duplicate a color.  As you work the colors onto your paper, you should leave the center of your paper white, and only paint diagonal squares.  You end up with something that looks very "abstract."  You can see the "checkered pattern on my work below.

Remember:  Start Light and Save White (in fact, I think I should have done my underpainting a bit lighter.)

Once this process is completed to your satisfaction, and everything is completely dry, you then paint your main subject right onto this checkerboard pattern.  I decided to paint shells onto my Grey Checkerboard pattern.  My biggest problem with this right now, is that my "subject" is totally blending into my background.  Today, I will try darkening my background to make my shells "pop" out a little more, and then do some detail work on the shells.  Then I have to pick subject matter for the "warm" and "cool" squares I am painting. 



First Stages of Checkerboard Variation Underpainting

 I have really struggled using this technique, I found it difficult to put my subject right on top of something already painted, and I found I would get "lost" within my painting. However, in looking at the "potential" of the picture, I believe this technique is going to bring movement, energy into what would ordinarily be a relatively dull painting.  I am excited to continue exploring this style of painting.