I don’t know what it is about food-related subjects, but I seem to have an obsession with them. Here’s another rendition of the eggs I sketched in pen & ink last week. I think this one came out quite a bit nicer.
Ever since I got my watercolor kit, I’ve been disappointed by the quality of the color — they just don’t seem as vibrant as I want them to be. I’ve been wondering if that is because (a) they are dried pan colors, (b) they are student-grade paints (the Cotman line from Winsor & Newton), (c) I don’t know what I’m doing, or (d) all of the above. So I decided I would try artist-grade watercolor from a tube.
Because artist-grade watercolors are not cheap, and because I didn’t know how much of my problem was related to the paint, I didn’t want to break the bank on a whole pallet full of new colors. One tube would be enough to experiment with.
I chose lamp black. Yeah, yeah, I know… you aren’t supposed to use black from a tube. But it was a color that I didn’t already have in my pallet, and it seemed like a good color to play with while I decide whether I’m going to splurge on some “real” colors.
Here’s what I found:
First, while it is true that I don’t quite know what I’m doing, it turns out that the consistency of paint from a tube is very different from the consistency of reconstituted pan paint. Again, this might be due to the difference in artist-grade paint vs. student-grade paint; but the difference is akin to the difference between basketballs and bellybuttons.
Second, the paint from the tube is vibrant. It is easy to get good variations from the lightest light to darkest dark. I’ve never had this kind of positive experience with my pan paints.
Third, even though it seems like you are spending a fortune on paint ($7 for a tiny 5ml tube), you use a surprisingly small amount of paint. This egg painting is 5.5 x 8.5 inches, and the amount of paint I used would fit comfortably on the head of a roofing nail.
As excited as I am about what I’ve learned from this little experiment, I won’t be racing out to replace all my paints just yet. Now that I’ve seen what the consistency of my paint should be like, I’ve got a lot more experimenting to do to see if I can get that same consistency out of my pans (if you’ve got any tips, post ‘em in the comments).
Very nice value study. Well done.
I love the learning and your drawing…with paint yet. Yikes!
First, great job on the eggs.
I too am just now learning about watercolors. I have been using watercolor pencils for a long time, but lately I’ve been experimenting with Rose Art watercolors. The $1 pan from Wal*Mart. I would like to see a comparison, because at my skill level I can’t tell a difference in paint quality.
This is a lovely image, and the tones of the colour work beautifully. Like Blade I have also only used watercolour pencils. I have some artist grade tubes of colour in the cupboard and hope to make some tentative steps in using them this year! It was really interesting to read your experiences and thoughts – and to see the end result of your first attempt!
It is an wonderful study. Quite frankly, when I clicked on the link (from EDM post) and this page opened up, my first thought was “Wow, that is excellent!”
Hi Jeff–NICELY done.
About your frustration with the watercolors–I think in part because it’s student grade paint. They’re just not as saturated, there’s less pigment-to-filler usually, and they may not even be the same basic pigments as artist-quality. Cotmans are usually pretty good, and I’ve got a little set with them, but…I don’t use it any more.
Pan paints are fine–you just need to rewet them before starting to paint, with clear water and a damp brush, mister, eyedropper or some such! Then they’re good to go, as intense as fresh-squeezed, generally speaking…
This is a really nice piece. I like the monochromatic palette with this subject. Beautiful!
You are just using too much water on your pan paints, listen to every word Kate Johnson says, you can’t go wrong.
Great sketch, good idea to practice with values before adding color.
Lovely.
I’ve got a bit of a thing for whisks and lemons at the moment too
…or even eggs (blush)
This is great.
I agree with the comments above about quality of paint.
I’m just stepping out and ‘upgrading’ from student watercolours (same as you, Cotman) and buying artist/prof quality paints and the difference is definitely there. The range is wider as well. I feel certain that my painting will progress and improve by making this change (even though I can’t buy a whole lot at once!)
Neato! Gotta love eggs
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Hi Jeff,
I agree that there is a BIG difference between the student and artist grade watercolors. I once had a very small WindsorNewton artist half pan set and
the colors were glorious. Lost it somewhere along the way. I think it now sells for about $60. (gulp!)
You might want to try the Derwent inktense watercolor pencils. I find them quite brilliant. And you can get 24 colors for about $34.
Your eggs/whisk study is very beautiful.
Nice value study. Seems like you are enjoying the watercolors. Even though I don’t work in watercolors exclusively, I’ve always maintained that watercolors are far more difficult than oils. So be comforted, it’s not an easy medium to master. I find that if you have quality PAPER, you can get by with less expensive brushes, and less expensive paints. That’s what I’ve always taught my watercolor classes. Though artist grade paints and nice burshes help, too. And yes, do go see Kate’s work, you’ll be inspired.