| Creating TextureThis is the best part of | | | | well-used one. Lots of dinners or cakes |
| creating a painting for me. I've learned to | | | | probably started in that bowl. It also gives |
| see beyond the preliminary washes that start | | | | it an antique feeling, a feeling I wanted to |
| to give shape to a painting and look forward | | | | give this rustic still life.More subtly, |
| to what can be done with texturing. Sometimes | | | | shadows, like those under the onion and of |
| those first washes that establish the | | | | the garlic on the onion, help to establish |
| composition can look bland and uninteresting. | | | | form. Highlights will do the same thing as |
| For a beginning watercolorist, those first | | | | also seen on the onion and bowl. I often find |
| stages can be the most discouraging. It | | | | that highlights, whether I've saved the white |
| doesn't look like I want it, you say. That's | | | | with masking or I've scrubbed off or am using |
| where texturing comes in to bring those | | | | a bit of titanium white really are the icing |
| shapes to life.I use several tried and true | | | | on the cake. So if something in your painting |
| techniques to achieve the look I want. My | | | | looks a bit lifeless, give it a life of its |
| tools are a few very worn brushes, some with | | | | own, with some texturing.Happy Painting!Chris |
| just a few bristles. For a worn look, I use | | | | Dinesen Rogers is a Minnesota artist, |
| scumbling quite often. This technique | | | | specializing in watercolor landscapes of the |
| involves using a dry to damp brush, with | | | | North Country. Through her work, she strives |
| fairly concentrated color is rub color onto a | | | | to capture the unique beauty and wonder of |
| shape. Look at the bowl on the right in this | | | | the Upper Midwest. Her art weaves a tapestry |
| painting. To view this image, click here. | | | | of the realistic, natural, imaginative and |
| darker marks are scumbling. Dry brush is | | | | historic, reflecting her deep love and |
| similar, but with this technique, the color | | | | commitment to the preservation of the natural |
| is more like being painted on, with a dry | | | | resources of this area.Chris is primarily a |
| brush and concentrated color. The surface of | | | | self-taught artist and has studied with |
| the table was dry brushed to give that wood | | | | regional artists. Chris's work has placed in |
| grain look. Another favorite technique of | | | | juried art shows. Her work is in |
| mine is splatter. I'll use it on most | | | | collections in over 35 states of the US and |
| anything I want to give a worn/used | | | | in collections all over Canada and England. |
| appearance to. You can see it on the lower | | | | She is represented by Art in the Village |
| right of the bowl. All these texturing | | | | Frame Shoppe & Gallery in New London, |
| techniques give character to an object. The | | | | Minnesota and the Earth Works Art Gallery & |
| bowl instead of being just any bowl is a | | | | Studio in Penn Yan, New York. |