(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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001-144_C70789.indd 93 5/13/14 11:49 AM92 The Drawing Club(Text)
ExErcisE:Nice: Buy quality colors
Learning the subtlety of seeing and mixing color takes a lot of
time and patience. I always tell my students to make sure they
are putting themselves in the best position to learn and to try
to get the easy things right. One of those things is buying the
right paint.
On day one, I give my students a supply list with the colors
we will need. Some come back with expensive professional-
grade paint and some with cheap student-grade paint. I get
it—students are on a tight budget. But this complicates things.
The professional-grade paint has more pigment, and the color is
richer and more vibrant. The low-grade paint doesn’t have much
pigment, so the color always looks dull. This is a problem when
you are trying to learn color because you can mix everything
correctly and the color will never look right.
It’s tough to see a student with the cheap stuff painting next to
a student with the nice stuff. The student using the cheap stuff
usually gets discouraged. They think they are doing something
wrong or just don’t get it, when it is really just the paint.
Everyone wants to save a few bucks, but when it is your chosentime to learn something specific such as color, the easiest way to
put yourself in a position to do well is to buy the better paint.
When Virginia Hein comes to draw with us, I always notice
her materials. She is an experienced artist who has been drawing
from life for quite a while. You can tell that trial and error has
steered her toward some really nice materials. Expensive pastel
colors and artist-grade watercolors fill her art-supply boxes.
When she starts working, you can immediately see the vibrant
color jump off the page. I also notice that because she has been
using quality materials, she really knows how to use them.
If you are just starting out, the cheap paint colors are fine.
But if you become serious about learning how to use color, buy
quality supplies just a little bit at a time. Don’t feel like you
have to buy everything all at once. So let’s say you bought a
cheap watercolor set at the corner store for a couple of bucks,
and after using it, you realized that you want to really learn
color. As your budget allows, start replacing each color in that
set with a professional-grade version. Mix with them both so you
can see the difference.Left, Egon Schiele, Litho pencil and watercolor on paper,
Opposite, Kung Fu, watercolor on canvas panel,
Virginia Heinc LUB Ti P s
■■ ■If you’re just starting out, buy cheap materials so you can practice, practice, practice without worrying
about wasting the good stuff.
■■ Except for paint: Buy the better paint—a little at a time if you’re on a budget.
■■ Treat an expensive brush carefully. It is a delicate drawing tool.
TAKiNG sTOcK
■■ Are the materials you’re using appropriate for what you’re trying to do?
■■ To keep things interesting, have you tried switching materials?(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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Left, Egon Schiele, china marker and watercolor on paper,
Opposite, Kung Fu, china marker and watercolor on paper,
Virginia Heintime to learn something specific such as color, the easiest way to
put yourself in a position to do well is to buy the better paint.
When Virginia Hein comes to draw with us, I always notice
her materials. She is an experienced artist who has been drawing
from life for quite a while. You can tell that trial and error has
steered her toward some really nice materials. Expensive pastel
colors and artist-grade watercolors fill her art-supply boxes.
When she starts working, you can immediately see the vibrant
color jump off the page. I also notice that because she has been
using quality materials, she really knows how to use them.
If you are just starting out, the cheap paint colors are fine.
But if you become serious about learning how to use color, buy
quality supplies just a little bit at a time. Don’t feel like you
have to buy everything all at once. So let’s say you bought a
cheap watercolor set at the corner store for a couple of bucks,
and after using it, you realized that you want to really learn
color. As your budget allows, start replacing each color in that
set with a professional-grade version. Mix with them both so you
can see the difference.(Text) (Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook #175 Dtp:204 Page:93
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