Ellen Jean Diederich who has 37 years of professional painting and teaching experience invites you to join her in exploring and effective design principles to build your center of interest in a painting.
Building Your Center of Interest –Any Medium
With Instructor Ellen Jean Diederich TWSA, RRWS, WSA, WW
This Workshop is edited to an 8. 5 hour long video with many additional features.
When you go to an art show or a gallery, some paintings immediately grab your attention. Have you asked yourself what it is that is drawing you to this painting? Do you want your paintings to draw the attention of an audience? Would you like to win awards? In this workshop you will practice a variety of design principles that bring out the interest area in your painting, and balance out the rest. You can do this with any medium – my examples will be done in watercolor.
This workshop is designed for any level painter who wants to improve their compositional skills.
This Video is broken down into 12 easy to watch sections. You can log back onto my site and watch it again and again.
#1-Intro and Light and Dark Complements
#2- Painting Examples
#3- Compliments and Center of Interest
#4-Modifying Painting and Class Examples
#5- Visualization
#6- QA Session
#7- Visualization part 2
#8- Layering Warm Up
#9- Layering on Painting Pt. 1
#10- Layering on painting pt 2
#11- Layering on painting pt 3
#12- Working on the White and Blue flowers
Need Supplies watch this FREE video first
Watercolor workshop supplies and tricks: https://youtu.be/LdibhsN8_rA
Need Supplies watch this FREE video first
Watercolor Fundamentals (right here on this site)
Ellen Jean Diederich’s Watercolor Supply List
You can work in ANY MEDIUM – this is a list of watercolor supplies that I will be using during this workshop. Since this is primarily a design class, you can work in black, white and your choice of three primary colors.
START WITH THE SUPPLIES YOU HAVE: You can use your own favorite brushes and tools you have on hand. You do not need to buy these specific paints but you will need a warm and cool color of each primary color and good paper for success. This list includes all of the colors I use and recommend them for any watercolor class. I have underlined colors that are particularly helpful for this course.
You Will Need: Photographs you have taken to use as a reference to paint from, paper towels, (FROG tape – recommended) and/or masking tape, an ice cream pail, #2 pencils, 2 1/2″ house brush (black Bristle), supportive painting board (such as gator board or drawing board, HB or #2 drawing pencil, jet eraser, and yellow gum eraser 18” ruler or straight edge, sharpie marker.
SUPPLIES: The brands listed are used by Ellen, feel comfortable using the brands you currently have. The Robert E. Wood Palette is recommended and is the best and most economic palette you can purchase. Professional grade paint and paper is strongly recommended and it will definitely affect your painting progress. Many people have difficulty painting because of the paper and brushes. they choose. If you have any questions about supplies please come ½ hour early and you can purchase these (below) from Ellen at discounted prices.
- Robert E. Wood Watercolor Palette
- D’Arches 140# (or heavier) cold press or watercolor paper2-5 sheets
- Wash Brushes: WN (Winsor-Newton) Golden Scepter 1″ flat ¾” flat, and ½ “ flat
- Brush WN 530 Script, WN #10 Round
- 9″ x 12″ Drawing Pad, Gum Eraser, & magic eraser
- Variety of Watercolor Pencils(Derwent) larger group of colors are better
Winsor Newton Professional Grade Paints
- Cerulean Blue, (New Gamboge or Winsor Yellow Deep) , Raw Sienna, Cadmium Lemon , Cobalt Blue
- Scarlet Lake, Antwerp Blue, Winsor Green (pthalo), Hookers Green
- Burnt Sienna, Permanent Rose, Cobalt Turquoise Light, French Ultramarine Blue
- Permanent Magenta, Rose Madder Genuine,
Additional colors “unnecessary favorites”
Cobalt Violet, Cobalt Turquoise Dark ,Quinacridone Gold,Cobalt Green, Mars Black , Indian red ,
Cobalt Teal, Cadmium Orange
Optional Materials: If you have these things on hand and want to work with them: Brayers, razor blades, Speedball cut easy Blocks, Speedball linoleum cutter, metallic watercolors, gouache (white required), Acrylic paints, Matt medium, soft gel gloss, collage items, and if you buy watercolor pencils- I recommend a set of 36 or more colors.