Watercolor Demonstration

    In each workshop, Ken Hosmer completes a number
    of painting demonstrations, each lasting about an
    hour and fifteen minutes. "Calico Cat," was painted
    before a live audience.

    Copyright 2007 by Ken Hosmer

    Step-by-step photos courtesy of Amy Anderson
    For this painting, I am working from a photo
    rather than from my customary ink sketch.
    The photo is only a starting point, and
    needs many changes. The cat is a circle
    shape centered in the space--not a good
    design. So I plan to merge the cat into the
    background and create a more interesting
    white shape. The color in the photo is very
    ordinary and unexciting. I need to jazz it up!
    I paint the background first. My value range
    in the background is dark to middle. My
    usual method is to plan the value structure
    ahead. However, I paint intuitively with
    color, making it up as I go along.

    Here I am starting with a limited group of
    colors: ultramarine blue, quinacridone burnt
    orange, and quinacridone violet.
    Next, I paint the shadow on the cat, making
    sure to let it dissolve into the cast shadow.
    Lost and soft edges create movement when
    painting animals. We don't want the cat to
    seem 'frozen', but rather it should feel as if
    it can move.

    Also, I attempt to lay the paint in boldly, with
    a fair amount of water. This creates organic
    paint textures and energy. If I am excited
    about my painting and 'energized', this
    mood is likely to flow into the finished art
    work.
    I continue working into the face area of the
    cat. This is my center of interest, so I want it
    to have more color, contrast and detail than
    the rest of the painting. Phthalo green,
    quinacridone gold and quinacridone rose
    are added to the previous colors.

    On the light side of the cat, I want to
    maintain lost edges within the white shape,
    letting one uninterrupted shape complete
    the illusion of light on foreground, cat's
    body and face.
    As I complete the painting, it is essential to
    avoid the temptation to rework or fix areas.
    This can quickly destroy the original paint
    energy. As a matter of discipline, I tell
    myself, "If it is already painted, leave it
    alone, Ken, and move on." After the
    painting is finished, if it is still a problem,
    then I may adjust an area. Often things that
    are bothersome in the beginning are not
    even noticeable in the final stages.
    After I have been
    away from the
    painting for
    several hours, I
    come back and
    look at the
    painting with a
    'fresh eye.' At this
    time I often make
    small adjustments,
    such as softening
    edges or adding
    additional small
    bits of color.