Ronald Pratt Watercolors

Get To The Point

ronaldpratt — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:59:06 +0000

I have been painting, teaching, and observing watercolor painting for over 35 years. One of the most recurring thoughts that occur to me is “get to the point”. What is it you are trying to say? What is it that you are trying to get people to take away after seeing your painting? If you are one of these painters who have nothing in particular to say it will surely be evident in your painting. If, on the other hand, you do have something to say, make sure your idea is clear and concise. Don’t fiddle and fuss all around your idea on non-essential fluff and unimportant trivial parts of your painting – get to the point and stay with it throughout the painting process. Don’t get distracted!

Have you ever listened to someone speak who rattles on and on and wanders all over the place with the conversation? When they’re done you ask yourself “What was it they were trying to say?”. Have you ever seen a movie or read a book only to finish and say to yourself “I don’t get it!” Painters quite frequently are guilty of this trap. They go on and on leaving the viewer to ask the question “what is the point?” Unfortunately with painting, the viewer sees the entire work at once and if they don’t get the point quickly they are gone and off to view other work. The painter must be clear and concise to grab and keep the viewers attention.

With that in mind, here are few tips for keeping you “on the point” during the painting process:

Write down your point on a piece of paper stating what it is you wish to say and tape it near your painting. Refer to it often.

Filter what you want to put in your painting. Does it help say what you want? If so include it! If it doesn’t help make the point discard it.

Simplify the idea. Many paintings I see these days, in my opinion, are too complex. The thinking seems to be the more you add to a painting the better it must be. Unless you are trying to convey the complexity of a particular subject, think in terms of simplification. Get down to the essence of your subject.

Step back and reflect. Is your point coming to the forefront? Or is it getting lost in the process? Adjust your painting accordingly.

Keep it clear and concise. The strongest statements are often the simplest ones. This holds true for paintings as well as the written word. I often see students who nail the essence of a subject very quickly while painting in just the first pass or two only to muck it up by overworking because they are not clear what they want to say or how they want to say it.

Continuously critique your own work. Look for the good, the bad, and the ugly. This should be done in all phases of your painting process, not just at the end. You should even get in the habit of critiquing paintings you have previously completed to learn how to say things better the next time. This is why I always encourage my students to mat and frame their work even if they don’t like it or are unsure about it. You get to study it when it hangs on a wall. Tucked in a portfolio or under the bed the learning process stops.

Try it again. One of the best exercises I know to learn to say something crisp, clean and simple is to try painting a subject again. It doesn’t have to be the exact same painting although there is nothing wrong with that. Try painting a similar scene or a series of a particular subject experimenting with various compositions, techniques, and even styles and then compare to see which painting says it the best.

Have fun with your watercolor painting but remember if you just want to catalog something you see, a camera will always do that better and quicker. People are interested in what an artist has to say so say it clear and concise.

Ronald Pratt
Gallery And Store

As The Palette Goes, So Goes The Painting

ronaldpratt — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 05:30:08 +0000

I have been teaching watercolor painting for nearly 20 years and I have long noticed the similarities between ones palette and the finished painting. If someone has what I call a wimpy palette (small amounts of pigment with lots of water) their painting will usually be similar with watery colors and a poor value range. A dirty palette usually results in muddied colors or more neutral (grayish brown) colors. A palette with a narrow range of colors will usually result in a painting with a narrow range of colors. For example, a palette for a painting of a forest scene with one or two greens will result in a painting with a limited range of greens – not the many varied greens one sees in nature. As I walk around my painting classes I usually can predict what a person’s painting will be like by looking first at their palette. It is uncanny how your palette predicts your painting. To help your chances to achieve a better painting, follow this advice: Always mix up your color palette before you start painting. You then have one less thing to think about during the painting process – what colors you are going to use. Use ample amounts of pigment with just enough water to liquidize the paste. You can always add more water for a lighter hue later but it is impossible to get a good rich color from a watery puddle if you use too much water to mix your colors from the start. Mix at least 3 values (light, medium and dark) for every color you plan to use in the painting. You then have the value range you need to create interest, variety and depth in your work. I always start a new painting with a clean palette and squeeze fresh paint straight from the tubes onto the palette. You are starting with clean paint this way and you will have purer color on your paper. I don’t use the wells at the side of the palette because the paint in these wells quickly becomes contaminated with other paints, dust, dirt, insects and what not. When it dries it becomes like “cake” paints and I find it hard to mix good rich puddles of color from cake paints. Try this and see how you like it. I think you will be surprised by the results and will see an immediate difference in your watercolor paintings. Happy painting!

Buying Fine Art Takes Courage

ronaldpratt — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 05:29:06 +0000

An artist friend of mine once told me “buying art is a lot like creating art, both take courage”. At the time, I didn’t know what he meant, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw he was right. For both, it takes courage to trust your own instincts. It takes courage to stick with your own convictions. And it takes courage to proceed down a path that has no external validation but your own beliefs. This last part is one of the biggest obstacles that I observe in people when they are buying fine art. Most often there is no validation that one is making the right decision. There is no Kelly’s Blue Book to reference. There is no Consumer’s Digest in which to refer. You can easily get the opinion of an Art Dealer or Gallery Owner but these people have a vested financial interest in pushing the work of artist’s they are show casing. There is only your own taste and judgment to rely on. And that, for most people, is a scary thing. People often return to an art show I am doing with friends or relatives looking for confirmation that they are making the right decision. Checking with these friends and relatives will only confirm their taste in art and not yours. More often than not, these people prefer another painting I have, or worse yet for me, they prefer another artist’s work. People do not seem to want to have the courage and rely on the convictions of their own taste. So my suggestion to you the next time you see a piece of art that takes your breath away, go for it. You will be surprised at how accurate your instincts can be. If the piece catches your attention immediately it will continue to do so for years to come. You will be happy that you purchased the piece. Remember we are attracted to art on an emotional level. It is what feeds our spirit. But we justify to ourselves the purchase of art on a logical level. Don’t let your logical side deprive your spirit of what it needs. Be gutsy and take the chance!!!!!!!