Watercolor Study

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

All of the watercolor blocks that I have seen or used come with a cover and backing board. I painted this image on a corner of the inside cover of an 18" x 24" Arches watercolor block, which is their largest format. Since twenty sheets of watercolor paper are glued on all four sides of a block, artists generally do not need to worry about stretching the paper as there is minimal buckling. When you finish a painting all you need to do is separate the top sheet from the others with a palette knife.

This cover sheet is a perfect place to try out new or different techniques such as painting with a palette knife or practicing a few brush strokes with a new brush to see which effects you can create. It is also a great space to jot down notes or references or make a quick sketch. Additionally, it is a valuable area to work out details you later need to paint.

I did this watercolor as a warm up as I had not painted for several days. These watercolor sketches are painted very freely and dry quickly as the paper is quite thin. This particular sketch was painted with a very wet brush on wet paper, which causes the obvious color bleed.

Sun on the hill

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I started two years ago. I like the angles of the building, along with the sun and shadows. The downward view appeals to me too. I attempt to be true to the colors I see. Of course in watercolor the pigments dry much lighter than when they are wet.

As I often do, I move trees around to hide unsightly objects, enhance open space or to match the scale of a structure. In this case, by moving the evergreen behind the house, it makes the building come forward, particularly since it is such a light color. It also clarifies the form of the house. Basically, I try to enhance or simplify the composition when I can.

I like to include power lines, street signs and guardrails amongst other road amenities because they are cultural and historical references. Some of these utilitarian elements, such as a guardrail, can become quite dated in appearance. We take them for granted in our environments, but they become noticeable again when placed in a painting.