Negative Painting with Watercolor DVD with Brenda Swenson

As much as we would want to, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford a week off from work, a week away from your family, or even a week to enjoy something you love! Taking time off for art instruction is really an absolute luxury, today.

Even with the abundance of alternate learning materials available, in my opinion, they can never really replace the wonderful hands on experience and one on one attention you get with live instruction. But in these lean times and understandably, the convenience and cost of workshops, unfortunately, often outweigh the benefits.

More art instruction venues around the U.S. are finding the task of attracting people to take a week long art workshop very challenging. With soaring gas prices, rising plane tickets, and motel costs, attending a live workshop with the country’s greatest workshop instructors is becoming more and more out of reach for part time artists and those who are just getting started.

For complete information regarding Cheap Joe’s 2014 Workshop Schedule in Boone, NC visits our website.

Fortunately for the art industry, the interest in making art is rising as well, and these same people are diligently looking for an alternate source of instruction; and not surprisingly, the alternative they find, is usually art books, DVDs and online instruction.

With that fact in mind, instructional books, DVDs, online instruction, and even ebooks are becoming even more conveniently accessible than ever before, and extremely beneficial to the self-taught artist. Most can be instantly downloaded to your computer, Iphone or Ipad, or ordered and delivered right to your front door in just a couple of days. And because a lot of the material you find online is free for the learning, it is best to have an open mind when searching the web.

Now, for me, I just love books, magazines, DVDs, or any instructional material having to do with art. I have collected them all for years and find it hard to let any of them go.

I am fortunate, in my job, to be able to keep up with the latest offerings of books and DVDs that we have available at Cheap Joe’s. And just recently, Artist Palette Productions released another great DVD with nationally known watercolorist, Brenda Swenson, entitled Negative Painting with Watercolor.

Brenda Swenson

In this very exciting and informative negative painting demonstration, Brenda captivates her viewers with an enormous amount of great info about mixing colors, color characteristics, choosing negative painting subjects, and understanding everything about negative painting.

This Value Exercise reveals the many layers needed to create depth in Negative Painting.

When asked what negative painting is, Swenson, said, “It is where the main focus is placed on space around and in between the object being painted.”

A glazing chart comes in handy when layering color.

Brenda takes the viewer through this process step-by-step and encourages them to follow along. She includes an easy exercise that thoroughly demonstrates how to recognize negative shapes, arrange your subject, and complete the many layers to achieve depth throughout your painting.

Brenda shows how to keep an accurate record of the pigments she uses and their characteristics.

Only after Brenda has given you the tools to succeed, does she gradually lead you completely through an accomplished painting, while instilling confidence during this unique process.

The 148 minute DVD completes the workshop presentation with a delightful and personal video biography about Brenda and a tour through her paintings.

NEGATIVE PAINTING WITH WATERCOLOR- BRENDA SWENSON

THE CHAPTERS-

TOOLS AND MATERIALS
PAINT CHARACTERISTICS
MIXING COLORS
SELECTING IMAGES FOR NEGATIVE PAINTING
RECOGNIZING NEGATIVE SHAPES EXERCISE PART 1
RECOGNIZING NEGATIVE SHAPES EXERCISE PART 2
RECOGNIZING NEGATIVE SHAPES EXERCISE PART 3
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 1
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 2
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 3
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 4
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 5
POMEGRANATE DEMO PART 6
POMEGRANATE DEMO REVIEW
ABOUT BRENDA
GALLERY

Reference Materials- The following information is included in the DVD.
The following supply list and pattern sheet which includes the leaf shape used in the Negative Painting exercise that can be enlarged and a full-size pattern of the pomegranate demo.

Complete with patterns to get you started right away!

Negative Painting Supply List

 Note from Brenda:
“What I am listing here are my own favorites. Please know this is only to get you acquainted with what works for me. I have found there is no magic brush, paper or paint and what you are most comfortable with is most likely the best tool to use.”

Watercolor Paint-
Brenda, basically, uses three different professional brands on her palette, Daniel Smith, Holbein, and Winsor & Newton.

Leaf Green (Holbein)
Hansa Yellow Medium (Daniel Smith)
Raw Sienna (Winsor & Newton)
Quinacridone Gold (Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton)
Winsor Orange (Winsor & Newton)
Scarlet Lake (Holbein or Winsor & Newton)
Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Holbein or Winsor & Newton)
Quinacridone Magenta (Holbein)
Colbalt Violet Light (Holbein)
Royal Blue (Holbein)
Ultramarine Light (Holbein)
Cobalt Blue (Holbein or Winsor & Newton)
Marine Blue (Holbein)
Cerulean Blue (Holbein)
Cobalt Teal Blue (Daniel Smith)
Viridian Hue (Holbein or Winsor & Newton)
Quinacridone Sienna (Daniel Smith)
Burnt Sienna (Winsor & Newton)
Payne’s Grey
Lunar Black (Daniel Smith)- Brenda uses this pigment to create a rich texture and unique granulation.

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors, Now at Cheap Joe’s!

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor Pigments, now available at Cheap Joe’s,  are known for their extensive variety of naturally granulating mineral pigments mined from all over the world. They are offered in more than 200 colors, with more in the works every year. The sheer range of possibility they offer is endless and unparalleled in the industry. The amazing selection spans the spectrum from the historical, natural earth and PrimaTek colors, to Quinacridones, the brightest and boldest colors modern technology has to offer.

The Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors include the highest pigmented colors on the market. The extremely vibrant color line offers excellent brushing properties and retains outstanding color strength when mixed with Titanium White.

Dan Smith started his business in 1976, dedicated to bringing the highest quality inks to the print-artist community. In 1993, Dan set out to create a line of watercolors with one goal in mind: to bring the watercolor artist the very best product available. His dream came to fruition with the introduction of a hugely innovative collection of 27 paints that just happened to change the world of watercolors forever. Made by hand, in the USA.

Brushes: Rounds: Assorted sizes 6 to14

Flat: size 20mm. Flat: 2-inch for wetting paper

Watercolor Paper:  I use Arches Watercolor Paper. Student grade or inexpensive pads do not work for this technique.

Pencils: 2B – 4B pencils.

Erasers: a Kneaded eraser.

Miscellaneous Items:  Watercolor board (such as Gatorfoam Board) to support paper, paper towels for clean up, water container, and a spray bottle.

Sneak peeks at Brenda’s Process:

Underwash to set the tone

Defining large shapes

Building negative layers

The completed painting

Detail of finished painting

This informative DVD is highly recommended for anyone interested in this unique watercolor technique or just looking to kick-start their creative process. It is suitable for serious beginners, as well as, artists with varied experience.

Also from Artist Palette Productions–

Sketching Techniques in Watercolor- Brenda Swenson

Brenda’s first DVD, Sketching Techniques with Watercolor is still very popular.

This DVD outlines Brenda’s plein air sketching technique, giving you great advice when wanting to capture the great outdoors or simple life studies.

To learn more about Brenda Swenson, visit www.SwensonsArt.net .

So, if you can, I highly recommend investing in a live art workshop, it really is a completely satisfying experience. If you can’t, learn as much as you can online, from magazines, books, or DVDs. The point is never to stop learning, evolving, or changing in your exploration of art!

Have a Happy and Positively Great Paint Day!

and give Negative Painting a try!