Free Watercolor Lessons & Techniques

"Five Things to Consider When Bringing Information From a Reference Photograph to a Painting

By Robert & Sharon Long

While we have discussed painting from photographs in an earlier edition, it may be well to give you this list to keep for future reference. If you run into a problem during a painting, chances are one of these five things is the answer to that problem. Give it a try! Pick an area of the painting and then consider how many of these apply to it.

1. What color is it (In layman’s terms) What pigment would I combine to make that color.
2. What temperature of that color is it? Cool – more blue Warm – less blue
3. What value is it? Light 0123 Medium 4567 Dark 8910
4. What shape is it? (crescent, triangle, heart, etc.)
5. Scale (the comparative size of things). If you paint a pigeon near a brick wall, the pigeon will be half again the length of a brick.

Two questions to answer
When we see something in a photo or in nature and wish to paint it.

1. What pigments would it take to produce the color of it?
2. What techniques would be used to represent the nature of it? (rough, textured, smooth, pitted, etc.)

If you have any questions about this edition of “Watercolor Tips” or other editions, feel free to contact us at rlwatercolor@aol.com. We will email an answer to you promptly. Enjoy painting.

If you have questions email us at rlwatercolor71@aol.com.

Enjoy painting!

Robert and Sharon