Watercolor Artist - USA (2020-06)

ArtistsNetwork.com 21

T

here are times when we want

to convey a feeling of stillness

and peace in our work and

times when the subject or scene calls

for action, replete with a sense of

motion and energy. To accomplish

the latter, it’s important to fi gure

out how to break out from the rigid

confi nes of overly rendered pencil

drawings and deliver a clear message

without getting caught in an abstract

mess of watercolor tricks.

MOVING FORWARD

When I’m trying to convey the

motion of a particular subject,

I’ll often design it as a vignette.

A vignette doesn’t have a defi nite

border; instead, the white of the

paper is left as negative space and

becomes part of the design.

During the Golden Age of

Illustration, from the late 1880s

through the early 1900s, this design

concept was used to leave space for

type in illustration and advertising.

I often look to two of my favorite

ABOVE

I sketched In the Pit (plein air

watercolor sketch on paper,

10x15) in the hectic pit area at

a vintage car and motorcycle

race. The darker fi gures and

car serve as a backdrop to

offset the mechanics, who are

wearing white coveralls. The

rider walking his motorcycle

is treated loosely, thanks to soft

and lost edges that imply some

movement against the static

fi gures. The use of light against

dark and soft edges helps to

contrast the hard edges.

LEFT

Through the intentional design

of this vignette, Throwing Hay

(plein air watercolor sketch on

paper, 16x12 ), I’ve added to the

energy and action. The angle

of the truck, the directional line

in the shadow, the gesture of

the fi gure and the soft edges

around the hay bale create

a sense of movement. Design,

directionals and edges work

together to depict action.