Comments on: Opaque Watercolor http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761 Tips and Ideas for Becoming a Better Artist Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:57:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Donna http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-542 Donna Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:17:26 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-542 Hi Donna, Great questions! When adding white pigment you must control the amount that you add because it will determine the value - how light or how dark the resulting color will be. If I want a pastel color, I'll add the amount of white necessary to bring the color up to my desired value. If I want a mid-value color, I use less white, and for darks I add little or no white. Two other factors involved are: #1) the amount of water you use - more water makes lighter values, less water will result in darker value colors, and #2) the natural value of the pigments you use. I don't use gouache for two major reasons: #1) it dries fastor on my palette than my watercolor pigments do, and #2) I love the (watercolor) colors on my palette - which took me many years of trial and error to put together. Hope this helps! Hi Donna,
Great questions! When adding white pigment you must control the amount that you add because it will determine the value – how light or how dark the resulting color will be. If I want a pastel color, I’ll add the amount of white necessary to bring the color up to my desired value. If I want a mid-value color, I use less white, and for darks I add little or no white. Two other factors involved are: #1) the amount of water you use – more water makes lighter values, less water will result in darker value colors, and #2) the natural value of the pigments you use.

I don’t use gouache for two major reasons: #1) it dries fastor on my palette than my watercolor pigments do, and #2) I love the (watercolor) colors on my palette – which took me many years of trial and error to put together.

Hope this helps!

]]> By: Donna McMenamin http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-541 Donna McMenamin Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:20:16 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-541 Hi Donna, thanks for the info. I really like your paintings, but I have a few questions. 1. How do you not end up with a lot of pastel colors using white gouache. 2. Why not just buy tubes of gouache instead? I am not being flippant here, I just am curious as to these answers. Thanks so much for taking the time. Hi Donna, thanks for the info. I really like your paintings, but I have a few questions. 1. How do you not end up with a lot of pastel colors using white gouache. 2. Why not just buy tubes of gouache instead? I am not being flippant here, I just am curious as to these answers. Thanks so much for taking the time.

]]> By: Donna http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-540 Donna Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:43:09 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-540 Hi Colleen, Thanks for visiting! More controversy! I'd like to ask those people and those "nationally known" teachers where I can find the rules that state the legitimate and the illegitimate ways of painting. Actually, it's kind of fun thinking of myself as the "renegade watercolorist"! Hi Colleen,
Thanks for visiting! More controversy! I’d like to ask those people and those “nationally known” teachers where I can find the rules that state the legitimate and the illegitimate ways of painting. Actually, it’s kind of fun thinking of myself as the “renegade watercolorist”!

]]> By: Donna http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-539 Donna Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:35:38 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-539 Hi Jo, Thanks for stopping by, and I'm so glad you liked the DVD! My palette wells are filled with purchased pigments - mostly Holbein, some Winsor Newton, and one American Journey: Coastal Fog - none are mixed by me. I believe that you can download a copy of my palette on your computer - check the DVD menu for instructions. Let me know if that doesn't work. Hi Jo,
Thanks for stopping by, and I’m so glad you liked the DVD! My palette wells are filled with purchased pigments – mostly Holbein, some Winsor Newton, and one American Journey: Coastal Fog – none are mixed by me. I believe that you can download a copy of my palette on your computer – check the DVD menu for instructions. Let me know if that doesn’t work.

]]> By: Donna http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-538 Donna Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:31:17 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-538 Hi Suzy, Thanks for visiting! Watercolor and gouache are both water soluble and therefore easily removed from the painting surface (as well as from brushes, floors, tables, clothes etc.), they stay wetter and more workable longer than acrylics, the colors melt and mix differently than acrylics, and they dry with a velvelty, matte looks rather than the glossy acrylic look. Hi Suzy,
Thanks for visiting! Watercolor and gouache are both water soluble and therefore easily removed from the painting surface (as well as from brushes, floors, tables, clothes etc.), they stay wetter and more workable longer than acrylics, the colors melt and mix differently than acrylics, and they dry with a velvelty, matte looks rather than the glossy acrylic look.

]]> By: Colleen Sabo http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-537 Colleen Sabo Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:16:55 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-537 Donna, I love this article and thank you for it. I love the way you paint, also! I have been painting with opaque watercolors for 5+ years now, and have had a lot of people ask why don't you paint with acrylics or oils--why use watercolors this way? The answer for me is that I love the way the colors blend together, and that they can be changed and built upon forever, until the painting is "finished." There is a wonderful "glow" that is obtained when layering opaque watercolors. This is not the same with acrylics, although I also paint with acrylics for different reasons. There are a lot of people, nationally known teachers included, who say this is not a legitimate way to paint--thanks for being a renegade watercolorist and making this a legitimate medium! Donna, I love this article and thank you for it. I love the way you paint, also! I have been painting with opaque watercolors for 5+ years now, and have had a lot of people ask why don’t you paint with acrylics or oils–why use watercolors this way? The answer for me is that I love the way the colors blend together, and that they can be changed and built upon forever, until the painting is “finished.” There is a wonderful “glow” that is obtained when layering opaque watercolors. This is not the same with acrylics, although I also paint with acrylics for different reasons. There are a lot of people, nationally known teachers included, who say this is not a legitimate way to paint–thanks for being a renegade watercolorist and making this a legitimate medium!

]]> By: Suzy http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-534 Suzy Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:12:56 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-534 What is the advantage of your use of watercolours over acrylic paint. thanks What is the advantage of your use of watercolours over acrylic paint.
thanks

]]> By: Jo Reimer http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-533 Jo Reimer Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:27:15 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-533 Thanks, Donna, I've played a lot with watercolor but have not considered it to be MY medium, but after watching your excellent and inspirational DVD, which was worth every penny, and after reading this article I aim to grab a tube of white gouache and a bunch of watercolors, some photos and my sketchbook and see what I can do with making your technique work for me in some way. Brushstrokes showing, painting over mistakes, scraping back to lower levels of color, freedom to play and experiment... all these are so much more appealing than traditional watercolor approaches. In your DVD your palette is full of mixed colors which I thought were bought mixtures, such as some of Cheap Joe's American Journey paints. Are these each mixtures you've created and named? Thanks, Donna, I’ve played a lot with watercolor but have not considered it to be MY medium, but after watching your excellent and inspirational DVD, which was worth every penny, and after reading this article I aim to grab a tube of white gouache and a bunch of watercolors, some photos and my sketchbook and see what I can do with making your technique work for me in some way. Brushstrokes showing, painting over mistakes, scraping back to lower levels of color, freedom to play and experiment… all these are so much more appealing than traditional watercolor approaches.
In your DVD your palette is full of mixed colors which I thought were bought mixtures, such as some of Cheap Joe’s American Journey paints. Are these each mixtures you’ve created and named?

]]> By: Peggy Stermer-Cox http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761&cpage=1#comment-532 Peggy Stermer-Cox Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:05:56 +0000 http://donnazagotta.com/blog/?p=1761#comment-532 Hi Donna, Thank you for sharing this information; its very helpful! Hi Donna, Thank you for sharing this information; its very helpful!

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