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A Quick Guide To Shapes and Tonal Values

This document provides tips for improving watercolor paintings from artist Andy Evansen. It discusses the importance of doing a tonal study beforehand to plan lights and shadows. All shapes in the painting should flow together and be connected. Pencil lines should be lightened with a kneaded eraser so they don't show under the paint layer. Painting should start with light tones and work up to darker tones in layers. Focus should be on large shapes rather than extra details. Edges in light areas should be sharp while edges in shadows should be soft. References with strong contrasts should be used. The brush should be reloaded often to maintain light, transparent colors.

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Patricia Budd
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178 views6 pages

A Quick Guide To Shapes and Tonal Values

This document provides tips for improving watercolor paintings from artist Andy Evansen. It discusses the importance of doing a tonal study beforehand to plan lights and shadows. All shapes in the painting should flow together and be connected. Pencil lines should be lightened with a kneaded eraser so they don't show under the paint layer. Painting should start with light tones and work up to darker tones in layers. Focus should be on large shapes rather than extra details. Edges in light areas should be sharp while edges in shadows should be soft. References with strong contrasts should be used. The brush should be reloaded often to maintain light, transparent colors.

Uploaded by

Patricia Budd
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Quick Guide to Shapes

and Tonal Values


What defines a really good painting?

These are right tones, connected

shapes, and masterfully balanced

light and shadow. In this brochure,

you will explore these aspects and

see how to make your watercolors

look attractive, harmonized, and

volumetric using the techniques of

an experienced instructor and

talented artist Andy Evansen.

1 Make a tonal study

Andy admits that the most

successful paintings are

made with the use of a tonal

study. A tonal study is a black

and white scheme of your

future painting which allows

you to plan light and

shadows, see the gradation

of tones in a reference.

Students are often reluctant

to go through this stage, as it

takes some time that they

want to spend on making the

painting itself. But in fact, it

works in reverse too. A good

tonal study saves you much

time, as it allows you to plan

your painting beforehands

and avoid possible mistakes.

So, it is worth trying!


2 Connect shapes
in your painting

Watercolor is best known for its


looseness, smooth transitions,
and soft shapes. All the shapes
should flow into each other – be
connected. If this rule is not
observed, a painting will look
like a coloring book with many
subjects existing separately from
each other. A tonal study helps
us find such connections in a
reference, try to make them, and
see an approximate model of
tonal values in a future painting.

3 Lighten pencil marks


with a kneaded eraser

Andy prefers to paint with


shapes, not lines. So, his
approach implies getting rid
of bright pencil lines and
making a drawing invisible
under a color layer. For this,
Andy taps a drawing with a
kneaded eraser. Outlines of
subjects become light and
you can’t see them when
watercolor is applied.
4 Go from light tones to darker ones
Start painting with the lightest areas, leaving highlights untouched.
Andy makes his works in 3 stages. He puts the first layer on wet paper
and covers the whole sheet with a light color. Then he dries the
painting and goes on to the mid-tones. After that, he adds dark
accents, makes shadows deeper, and adds several details if necessary.
You can use the same color mixtures for all layers – just make them
lighter or darker depending on the needed tone.

5 Concentrate on big shapes


and avoid extra detailing
You don’t need to paint a lot of
details to make a good
watercolor. What is really
important is light and shadows,
tones and contrasts. People will
“see” what is implied and get the
idea you want to convey even if
you don’t paint everything you
notice in a reference. Conversely,
such implications will make
viewers examine your painting
more thoroughly, get their own
understanding of it, and see the
things only they will imagine.
And it is very interesting!

6 Make correct edges


There is a rule that works when you paint with watercolor – the edges
in the light are more defined and sharp, and the ones in the shadow
look lost and soft. In the shadow, you always connect shapes, so the
edges may not be seen at all.
7 Choose references
with nice strong light

Especially if you are a beginner.


Avoid all kinds of complicated
lighting – midday scenes, foggy
days, or snowy landscapes. Start
with the ones where you see
clear tonal contrasts, and then,
when you get more experience,
go over more difficult scenes.

8 Work from a wet edge

Especially if you are a beginner.


Avoid all kinds of complicated
lighting – midday scenes, foggy
days, or snowy landscapes. Start
with the ones where you see
clear tonal contrasts, and then,
when you get more experience,
go over more difficult scenes.

9 Reload your brush

Andy’s paintings are recognized


for clear yet solid colors
preserving lightness and
transparency. For achieving such
a result, he advises to reload a
brush very often and plan your
painting process. This approach
allows him to avoid dirt, extra
strokes, and dryness.
Andy Evansen is a great professional! His tips help us
refine our paintings, correct mistakes, and get an
understanding of watercolor. If you want to learn from
Andy, get a good basic preparation, master his
techniques, and have lots of inspiration, we invite you
to his new course “Fast Track to Watercolor”.

Click the button below to join the course


and study with Andy:

Fast Track to Watercolor

To be always aware of our free online events


with top artists from around the world follow
us on social media

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