Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The World Of Water Color Artists

By Amber Winters


Water color artists have been around for a long time. There is evidence of this medium as far back as ancient Egypt. However, it was not until around the 1400s that real development started. Paintings done on a larger scale became more widely used by Albrecht Durer.

He recognized the effect of producing larger versions of these paintings. He made use of the wash technique. This brought out the highlights of his work. These areas of color were mostly flat in appearance. They were watered down and lighter more brighter colors were derived.

Each country has produced its own share of artists work in this medium. They have approached if from the perspective of where they live and what they experience. It reinforces the flexibility of this type of painting.

The Victorian era was the hallmark of showcasing these paintings and the artists who created them. It was not difficult to recreate the images of previously made works of art. This appealed to many individuals and they often requested water colors.

During this time major individuals emerged. People like Claude Lorrain, who was born in the 1600s. The landscape was the predominate works and he was thought to be the very best. His work known as Landscape with Cattle and Pheasants displayed the wonderful scenery around the area.

Richard Wasike is a Ugandan artist who makes his home in Nairobi, Kenya. He was born in 1963 on the Ugandan border of Kenya. At the age of five his father discovered he had a natural talent for art. He was encouraged by his father to create beautiful African landscapes.

He spent a lot of time painting the Maasai and their lifestyle. He showed through his pieces the majestic beauty of the Savanna plains and the people who lived there. Maasai at Sunset is just one of the works that showcase his talent.

Here in the United States we find Cheng Knee Chee creating watercolors with contemporary style. He includes many different ways of using this form of painting. He has equal skill and confidence using Chinese dry brush as he does using traditional techniques.

This artist has a love of fish and birds. One of his favorite subjects to paint are Koi. In one of his paintings he is able to capture the very essence of this subject and project it through a method called the splash color. Using this process he has control on the final image.

This paint, which has been through several transformations is created by mixing it together with an agent that is water soluble. The only problem is that in the early stages of the paint it could not hold the brightness of the color. This caused it to fade in the light.

This has been taken care of with the new techniques that they use to make them. The paint is very resilient and can be found in a variety of forms. The finishes they are able to achieve have the ability to offer many new styles.

There many more water color artists than can be described here. Every artist at some point has tried his or her hand at this forgiving and powerful medium. These artists are always finding new ways to express the world as it is seen from their perspective.




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