Iain Stewart - Light & Color: Expert techniques and step-by-step projects for capturing mood and atmosphere in watercolor

Expert techniques and step-by-step projects for capturing mood and atmosphere in watercolor

Iain Stewart

Olympic Street Bridge, Los Angeles

House with Blue Trim (Anstruther, Scotland)

Whether sitting with my sketchbook at a Parisian caf or bracing my easel against the wind and rain on a bluff overlooking a Scottish harbor, painting outdoors is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of my work. While these are the ideal locations for the plein air painter, finding the beauty in an alley or looking for new painting spots can be just as fulfilling. The knowledge that beauty and fulfillment are a mere stones throw away constantly pulls me outside to record the world around me.

This is the realm of big ideas,
and it can move you in directions
that will surprise you.

I find all aspects of working outside equally beneficial. I have had my easel sail away in a gust of wind and have had the splatter of rain on my first wash end my work for the day, but my memories of those times remain with me. These are the stories of our painting careers. Why? Because we made the effort. I find that act alone to be the most challenging to those just beginning to undertake this wonderful adventure. You must become an artist who meets the world as you work.

In terms of light and color, this is how you discover what the world actually looks like. Photographs lie. They are powerful tools at our disposal, but they can never replicate the human eye. You have to be onsite to see how light moves across a wall or to understand atmosphere and its effects on mood. Our understanding of light and how it influences our perception is at the heart of this book.

Our other major topic is color. To understand its use you must first understand the light in the scene. Light speaks of time, weather, and mood. Color also talks in the same language, but it speaks poetically. It can transform the ordinary, emphasize emotion, and if used with care, breathe life into the most mundane of scenes.

Together light and color are at the heart of every painting I create. One supports the other. A good painting is in tune, meaning that all pieces in this particular orchestra are working toward a common goal. This highlights discovery and the realization of a sense of place.

The more time you spend working outside, the more memories you have to draw upon when planning a painting. I can remember and use lighting conditions I witnessed in other places and times, and apply them to anything I am working on. Those memories, if collected correctly, will last much longer than any photograph you take.

I am trained as an architect. As any design student whose collegiate career predates computer-animated design software, I had to be able to draw well enough to render a scene with absolute precision. In other words, communication through drawing is essential and in itself a visual language.

In this book, we will discuss ways to loosen up your drawings by understanding the basic shapes involved rather than getting bogged down in details. If you can draw a rectangle and are prepared to practice, you are in the right place!

Whether you are just beginning on your journey as a plein air artist or have been struggling your way through, the reality is that if you embrace your mistakes and actively try to learn from them, you will. There are, however, some things I can explain to make the journey a little easier.

In moving from the studio to plein air painting, the first thing that comes to mind is my sketchbook. There is no other tool in my arsenal more suited to bridging that gap in a way that is less intimidating and enjoyable. A sketch is just a quick expression of where you are, rather than a lengthy explanation. Working outside allows me the freedom of movement and a lightweight setup. I can cover more ground, collect more memories, and not be worried about the outcome. After all, it is just a sketch. We will delve into this much further later.

Water of Leith Boats, Edinburgh

Painting en plein air in a more traditional sensewith easel and kitrequires a bit more planning and set-up time, but is essentially the same. I dont go for masterpieces when working outside. (I dont suggest doing that in the studio either.) Thinking in terms of how good a piece will be during the painting process puts undue pressure on you to perform. This book will discuss repeatable processes that you can rely on to help you there, but the key element is time spent outside. I say in my workshops this is not where you paint masterpieces; in fact, it should be where you struggle. New ideas are hard to grasp. A better strategy is to work in a manner that does not make you uncomfortable. If you are going to ruin something, do it spectacularlydont go down with a whimper! Ruined paintings are the stepping stones to greater things if you use them to learn.

My goal is to find a way to express what I see in a specific place and how it speaks to me. Im not interested in capturing everything. I want to bore down and find the one thing that made me stop and say, this spot might work. The other information is less critical and the process of editing, composition, and proper technique for your environment begins to take over. There is only one way of learning how to do this: Get outside and enjoy yourself.

In this book, I talk about the mistakes Ive made along the way so that you dont have to repeat them. I encourage you to come out of your shell and start looking at the world through an artists eye. I teach you how to put the necessary pieces in place for a better chance at success. Ultimately, it all comes down to you, and how much you are willing to do to further your goal. This is a book about my journey. It can easily become one about yours, as well.

Iain Stewart

I have drawn and painted on site for the last 30 years. In the early days, this was mostly in my sketchbook, but in the last decade, I have shifted to using an easelthis has made my work move in ways I never intended. Its a whispered truth from one artist to another, typically starting with the phrase, When I began to go outside...

You dont need a sports car to get from point A to point B. It may be quicker and more luxurious, but in the end you still arrive in the same spot taking a bus. That said, and the same is true with art, your materials should be the best you can afford. However, you should also be aware that just because something costs more, it does not mean it will perform better.