ArtistsNetwork.com 61Meet he Artist
In his large urban watercolors,
award-winning artist Tim
Saternow (timsaternow.com)
reveals the fleeting beauty of the
old factories and gritty streets of
New York City. His work has been
exhibited in numerous galleries
throughout the U.S. and
internationally, and has been
featured in a number of art
publications, including the competition series,Splash,
Volumes 12, 13 and 18. Saternow teaches workshops on
painting, drawing and linear perspective in New York
City, and in workshops at the Art Students League of
New York. The artist is represented by the Kobalt
Gallery, in Provincetown, Mass.LEFT
Working on Arches triple elephant size rough paper,
I start with a careful perspective drawing in pencil,
and then add the fi rst layers of Payne’s gray as a
value composition. I leave the paper white where
I know I’ll want pure, bright local color.
ABOVE
I want the sign to be the focus in Psychic Reading,
West 27th St. (watercolor on paper, 60x40), so the
depth and lightness of the sidewalk lead the eye in
that direction. I also needed more dark values, so
I layered Payne’s gray and sepia to create rich darks.
My technique also breaks an old “rule” of watercolor
painting: Start with the lightest and palest, then move
toward the darks. Instead, I try the absolute darkest
value i rst. h is is such an easy way to see the widest
range of values—from the white of the paper next to
the darkest value of Payne’s gray. Instant drama!Start From Sketch
Before I paint, I i rst draw a small, separate value sketch
in pencil. I’m not looking for detail with these sketches,
but rather for large areas of light and dark. At this stage,
the shadow side of a building and its cast shadow aren’t
necessarily separate values, or elements—I draw them
as one shape. h is is when I can see if my composition
will actually work as a much larger painting. Keep in
mind that color does have value, but seeing those values
is dii cult. An easy way to see the values in color is to
photocopy your reference (in black and white) and draw
from that.
I apply the grisaille layer carefully, taking my time,
but the local color goes on quickly in washes. h is
added color shifts value beautifully, according to the
grisaille layer beneath.
Watercolor is a complex and very contemporary
medium that allows for a wide range of treatments and
techniques. My choice to utilize a grisaille underpaint-
ing works for me, giving my paintings a weight and
solidity that helps communicate my very personal
vision of New York City. WA