Watercolor painting: a comprehensive approach to mastering the medium

286 Pages·2012·16.69 MB·English

by  Tom Hoffmann

JIAUR RAHMAN, SILENT LOVE, 2002
WATERCOLOR ON PAPER
30 × 22 INCHES (76 × 56 CM)

Copyright © 2012 by Tom Hoffmann All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by WatsonGuptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing
Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com
WATSONGUPTILL and the WG and Horse designs are trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hoffmann, Tom (Thomas Burton)
Watercolor painting: a contemporary approach to mastering the medium / Tom Hoffmann.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Watercolor painting—Technique I. Title ND2420.H63 2012
751.42′2—dc23
eISBN: 978-0-82300674-8 2011045489
Front cover art: Tom Hoffmann
v3.1
JAMES MICHAEL, WINTER DUNES, 2008
WATERCOLOR ON PAPER
22 × 48 INCHES (56 × 122 CM)
TO YOU, EILEEN
The idea for a book about becoming fluent in watercolor came from my
students, as did the inspiration to stick my neck out. I am grateful to all for
the risks they so willingly take.
Thanks, also, to my teachers, Douglas Jones and Carl Schmalz, who
wound me up forty years ago and set me down on the track that could only
have led right here.
Cynthia Hibbard, equal parts fine watercolor painter and insightful reader,
gave indispensable guidance, without which there would be much more
mud.
Thank you to Gary Faigin and Pamela Belyea, who encouraged this project
more than once, and in many ways—most notably by building a community
at Gage Academy where watercolor can thrive.
Many thanks to my Gage colleagues, Mitchell Albala and Suzanne
Brooker, for help navigating the twists and turns of preparing a manuscript.
Thanks also to Alison Hagge, my patient and perceptive editor.
To all the artists whose work enriches this book, I am in your shadow.
I am especially grateful for the support of my wife, Eileen, who has always
been the bridge that connects me to the rest of the world, and to our sons,
Gus and Cal, who believe in me and tell me the truth.
“The reason I paint is because it makes me sane.”
—David Yaghjian
TOM HOFFMANN, NEW YEAR (detail), 2010
WATERCOLOR ON ARCHES HOT PRESS PAPER
22 × 30 INCHES (56 × 76 CM)
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING WATERCOLOR
CHAPTER ONE: TRANSLATING A SUBJECT INTO THE LANGUAGE OF
WATERCOLOR
Being Mindful of Your Subject
Revisiting Your Purpose
Identifying the Tricky Parts
Knowing Where to Begin
Knowing When to Stop
Maintaining Intentionality with Your Marks
Recognizing What Works
Using the Language of Form
CHAPTER TWO: KNOWING WHAT NOT TO PAINT
Identifying the Major Shapes
Creating a Five-Value Monochrome Study
Evaluating a Simplified Study
Creating a Two-Layer Geometric Sketch
Thinking about Stopping
Creating a Three-Layer Thumbnail Sketch
CHAPTER THREE: SEEING IN LAYERS
Resolving an Image through Layers
Learning to Exercise Restraint
Identifying Individual Layers
Evaluating the Layers
CHAPTER FOUR: UNDERSTANDING VALUE
Identifying the Lightest Part of the Picture
Reserving the Whites
Reserving Non-White Elements
Identifying the Darkest Part of the Picture
Bracketing the Values
Knowing How Dark You Can Go
Critiquing the Darks
Knowing When to Depart from “Accuracy”
CHAPTER FIVE: SHARING CONTROL OF WETNESS
Working with Hard and Soft Edges
Planning the Wetness of the Paper
Providing Enough Time for Each Task
Gauging How Much Paint You Need
Gauging the Wetness of the Brush
Rewetting an Area
Knowing When to Depart from “Accuracy”
CHAPTER SIX: GETTING THE MOST OUT OF COLOR
Serving Your Main Goals with Color
Evaluating Your Palette
Mixing Your Colors
Identifying the Dominant Color
Evaluating the Effects of Color Temperature
Knowing When to Depart from “Accuracy”
Enlivening Your Darks
Choosing Colors for Your Neutrals
CHAPTER SEVEN: DEVELOPING AN INSTINCT FOR COMPOSITION
Sketching Your Subject
Translating Form into Content
Knowing When to Depart from “Accuracy”
Creating the Illusion of Space
Being Mindful of Abstraction
Establishing Balance
CHAPTER EIGHT: BECOMING YOUR OWN TEACHER
Identifying the Qualities of a Good Teacher
Establishing Who Is in Charge
Painting for Its Own Sake
Devising Alternate Strategies
Identifying What Worked Well
Expanding Your Range
Asking the Questions
Parting Thoughts
INDEX