22 Watercolor artist | AUGUST 2019
paper. As the initial layer dries, Taylor introduces middle values to
begin to create form, and then carefully adds the darkest values.
“Start loose, and the darks and strong shapes pull it all together,”
he says. “Sometimes the darks can be put in earlier, depending on
the subject.”
Th e lighting that an artist experiences while painting will diff er, he
cautions, from the lighting present wherever the viewer will observe a
fi nished piece, which aff ects the colors and values an artist commits to
paper. “If you paint in a dark light, you tend to paint brighter, and if
you paint in a bright light, you paint darker,” he says. “Most paintings
are hung on a wall in a home under artifi cial lighting. Th at’s why, when
you paint outside, it’s important to have a shade, such as an umbrella,
over the paper.”RIDING THE WAVE
Th e weather constantly changing (or threatening to) is always challeng-
ing, but it also provides an opportunity that has shaped Taylor’s style.
“One needs the practice in these conditions,” he says, “and I can
honestly say many of my best works have been painted from life in
extreme conditions.”
Losing oneself in the moment, and painting however long that
moment lasts, is a critical lesson that Taylor tries to impart to his
students. “In watercolor, a painting is better when 90 percent fi nished
than 120 percent overworked,” he says. “Th is has taught me to connect
to those moments and ride the wave. When I see the result, I lose
myself in the moment again and am reminded of how special it was,
and continues to be.” WAStefanie Laufersweiler is a freelance writer and editor living in Cincinnati.WEATHER EFFECTS
When painting shoreline
scenes on location, an artist
is certain to encounter a
variety of weather conditions
that will have an impact on
how the watercolor behaves.
“Watercolor may dry too
quickly in hot weather,”
Taylor says, “and in rainy or
stormy weather—even when
working under an umbrella—
the paint may dry much too
slow.” Because of this, he
suggests testing layers on
a sheet of scrap paper first
to get a sense of how current
conditions will affect the
paint’s drying time.
“I don’t want to add too
many layers; I want to get
my values instantly,” he says.
“To do this, I need to know
how wet or dry the
paper should be.”