Male figure in wash technique
Tissa HEWAVITARANE
Almost all artists have an eye for a beautiful body: male figure as
well as female figure. But not many beginners have the opportunity, or
perhaps the confidence, to attend a life drawing class to learn the
skills. If this applies to you don’t worry. There are other ways of
learning how to sketch and paint a human figure. You might not have a
spouse, relative or friend willing to shed their threads, and life
drawing classes may be out of reach. However photographs can provide an
alternative source of subjects to work from.
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The background is shown with a light blue tone in order to show
the principal shadows fallen on the body |
I know most painting books sternly and piously advise against using
photographs at all, and some of the purists among us regard the camera
as a form of cheating. But let us not be hypocritical about this. You
and I know that thousands of painters all over the world work out
photographs anyway, so we might as well learn to use them creatively and
responsibly.
What has given the process a bad name are the amateurs who copy
photographs slavishly and mindlessly and in every detail.
The plan of the figure
A few other tips are painting courses and art tutors. Dozen of books
are on the market written by top water colour painters. Each has points
that are extremely helpful, because each artist tries to show the best
way to get exciting results.
The figure is one of the greatest challenges that a water colourist
can take on, not only because of the subject itself, but also what can
be done with the water colour techniques. With other pictorial themes a
water colour can have some limitations. However with figure exactly the
opposite occurs. This subject requires a lot of rigor, starting of
course with the initial drawing. It is important to bear in mind that
the outline of the drawing is the base of the colour.
Therefore, when doing the drawing it is necessary to keep the
painting process in mind. The figure must be planned in detail, but
apart from the possibility that these geometric shapes offer it can be
constructed from well studied internal structure. As we have seen all
the elements of nature can be synthesized from others which are simple.
You will be able to see, with a good drawing the proportions and the
fundamental anatomical forms can be perfectly shown. The initial sketch
has the task of laying out the most elementary and simple outlines
before filling them with colour. Before starting to paint, the drawing
has to be perfectly finished.
The volume of the figure
Once you have learned to construct the figure correctly, the next
step is to give shape to the drawing. This is done with colour and
various light effects that are carried out on the paper. Just like other
themes that can be painted with watercolour, a certain amount of light
is projected on to every figure. This means that some areas can be
represented with light and other shadows. The light areas always have to
be those reserved by the darker tones, it is precisely this effect that
produces the volume. The parts of the figure most exposed to light will
have to be outlined by the shadow which will always adapt to the
anatomy. Once the figure is defined and the drawing is refined the
painting of the volume is started by placing the shadows and the light
areas. When starting out with the volume proceed with caution from it
must be suggested by the points of maximum luminosity.
Techniques of synthesis
The synthesis should be the principle recourse of the water colourist.
Synthesis means the process by which the representation of subjects is
reduced to the most basic elements. In general, when painting without
experience there is a tendency to fall into the trap of cluttering with
excessive details. As experience is acquired unnecessary factors are
eliminated.
To paint well you have to know what is important and what is
superfluous. By being very economical with techniques, it is possible to
paint the figures of fairly advanced technical level, despite doing away
with unimportant details.
Wash drawing
There are many techniques that normally can be used to paint a human
figure. Beside being able to represent the colours, it is important to
master and study the human anatomy, in order to draw and paint
correctly. We have looked at basic watercolour techniques of wash in
previous exercises wet-into-wet, dry brush and calligraphy. They all
have their strength and weaknesses.
Wash for example, is the most positive way of indicating shapes. Its
strength lies in its simplicity. Despite the fact that wash is executed
with watercolour, it is really a drawing technique. Observe carefully in
my own painting man cutting a king-coconut how closely wash is linked to
the drawing.
The brush is used to apply lines in the same way one forms lines with
a pen. A wash allows the painter to apply different tones of the same
colour, according to the amount of water that is added to the paint on
the palette. The first layer will be the base for all the texture to
produce skin tones.
The base colour will allow all the later applications to act like a
filter, modifying the original colours according to the opacity with
which they are painted. The background is shown with a light blue tone
in order to show the principal shadows fallen on the body. The colours
used are a mixture of burnt sienna with a dash of prussian blue and
light red. A light orange is used to paint the nut with a mixture of
burnt umber for dark shadows. The brushes used are sable hair numbers
six and three. Wet zones are soaked up better with brushes that retain a
lot of water, that has a dense tuft and natural hair.
To spread colour in defined areas, or to do fine lines a sable hair
brush is used. Its tip is pointed and makes easier the opening up of
small details, while the hairs permit more water to be absorbed.
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