To Outline or Not To Outline - Watercolor

Since many artists use calligraphy with sketches and watercolor, I took a weekend workshop recently at the Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H): Pen, Ink and Watercolor, for all levels, given by Joan Hughes.

On the first day, after getting our tube paints, plus flat and round brushes arranged, we got to work right away, no student introductions, no preliminaries. 

We started by tracing Joan's sketches on large light boxes. 

The first sketch was an apple, carrot and onion. After tracing with pencil, we used our Micron pens to cross hatch, make squiggly lines, not to show too much and no outlining! Then we could watercolor very lightly.

The second sketch was a fluffy cat, no outlining here! Still needs work. 

The third sketch was more advanced, a chair with end table, lamp, plus frames on the wall, mon Dieu! I worked and worked on mine, then Joan came over and made suggestions. I’m OK with how it came out.

Joan was not in favor of outlining. I could tell because she kept saying, “No outlining!” to all the students. 

In the Houston Calligraphy Guild Retreat in May, see my blog about that, here, the artist Shirl Riccetti told us to outline each sketch we made. 

So I was fully flummoxed!

Next Joan demonstrated how to use a flick of color to paint bodies for people. I loved these! I thought I was rather good at it too - I went wild making those little background people.

We sketched other people too and I was told by Joan, “Oh, you outlined!” Joan painted the hair on the middle person.

Other than the sketch samples, a handout of a grid of textures reminded us what to use instead of an outline.  I made use of that when we sketched and watercolored Queen Elizabeth on the second day of the workshop.

Next we traced Joan’s sketch of a poppy flower. By this time, Joan was telling us to watercolor before we used our Micron pens, so we would not outline too much. My flower remains unfinished. Maybe I’ll play with it again one day or leave it this way.

We finally sketched and painted a couple of windows and doors on the afternoon of the second day. 

In the ad for the class was a sketch and watercolor of a building so I thought that was what we would be doing, for the most part.

An hour before the class ended we traced the sketch of The Alamo, Joan demonstrated watercoloring the sky. Mine remains unfinished. 

Since WAS-H is across the street from The Menil Museum, I walked over there after class and enjoyed myself while looking at the Surrealist paintings.

All in all , it gave me a glimpse of how another artist works. But I still like outlining. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter: To outline or not to outline.

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017