Free Watercolor Painting: A Comprehensive Approach to Mastering the Medium by Tom Hoffmann Page B

apply the new layer with confidence. It is truly amazing how easy it is to paint right over a highlight ten seconds after saying out loud, “I don’t want to cover that highlight.” It is almost enough to make me go for the masking fluid.
    Knowing what needs to be reserved from the previous layer and remembering to do it are skills that come partly from practice and partly from taking responsibility. The benefits of practice take time to be seen, of course, but being in charge produces results immediately.
    The language of watercolor requires a way of thinking that eventually becomes second nature. Meanwhile, timing is everything. Remember to ask: What needs to be reserved? And make sure to ask it before the next layer is applied, as this establishes good habits and eliminates the need for the paper towel and the scrubby.

    I DENTIFYING THE D ARKEST P ART OF THE P ICTURE
    Although the darkest darks usually go on last, it is a good idea to identify them early in the process of getting to know your subject. Make sure to ask yourself: What is the darkest part of the picture? Seeing the fullvalue range gives you a basis for comparison when you are learning where on the relative scale each element of the picture should be placed.
    D. ALANSON SPENCER, OATMAN, ARIZONA, DATE UNKNOWN
WATERCOLOR ON PAPER
22 × 30 INCHES (56 × 76 CM)
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    The butte in the background has enormous presence, even though it has been simply stated. Had it been lighter, it would not loom over the valley, but had it been darker, we would not feel the space between it and the mine buildings. Spencer seemed to know that the value of the butte had to be about halfway between the lightest and the darkest parts of the scene. Could it be he just got lucky? The slim white roof of the tallest building suggests otherwise.
    In Oatman, Arizona, shown above, D. Alanson Spencer makes decisions about the value he assigns to each shape according to its ideal location in the range between the lightest and darkest parts of the image. To take full advantage of the role value plays in establishing a convincing illusion of light and space, it was important for him to identify the lightest light and the darkest dark right at the start.
    It is possible to study the value range and dark/light balance without having to first paint the picture. The various forms of sketches and studies discussed in chapter 2 quickly reveal the relationships and the roles of the darks and lights. On this page is another exercise that can help increase your sensitivity to value. At the same time, it provides some insight into how to simplify the infinitely subtle range of value that is often present. By exploring which elements of a complex subject are essential and which are optional, you can discover where you must be attentive and where you can be casual. I use a colored-glass cup, but a shiny metal pot or a burnt-out light bulb would also work well.
    Although the three-value study has none of the subtle tones of the real cup, it still looks like glass. This suggests that the many middle-value shapes are not essential to the illusion. When I stare at the cup and move from side to side and up and down, the subtle shapes change size and location dramatically. In any position, however, the cup still looks exactly like a glass cup. How critical can it be, then, to get those delicate values in just the right places? Moving and looking again, I see that the lights and darks stay in roughly the same spots.
    Evaluate the subject.
The blue glass cup displays a broad range of values—bright highlights, deep dark accents, and a host of subtle middle values. How accurately must these be duplicated?
    Create a middle-value study.
Using a single middle value, make a simple silhouette of the cup. Try using a big brush, and painting the shape, rather than drawing an outline and coloring it in. Let go of accuracy of drawing—it will help you pay more attention to value. An assessment of the study shows that