Traditional watercolour
High-key colours In this piece, Their Ancestors Were Wolves, a domesticated dog looks at us from behind an orange mask. The whites of the dog’s eyes, set within this darker tone, help to focus our attention. This painting is a good example of an opaque watercolour. The orange wolf, painted in what is called a high-key colour, remains bright, showing up clearly on the brown recycled paper. A transparent watercolour would not be as effective on this paper. A characteristic of opaque colours is that they dry with a matte surface, much like gouache paint does. Pencil, which is used for the dog, works well on top of this matte surface. Every watercolour has specific characteristics. In order to work effectively with them, it is important to know the characteristics of each pigment. As you experiment with your paints you’ll find out what these are. Here the artist has exploited that knowledge to great effect.
Tip Using white on a coloured background can be very effective. The ‘chalkiness’ of white gouache paints and white pencils ensures they stand out against darker tones. This makes them particularly useful for adding highlights to a work.
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Luka Va