PICTURES 389

WATER-COLOR PAINTINGS

Original water-color paintings should be used much more gen-
erally than they are, as they are reasonable in price and also de-
sirable. Unframed water colors of merit are sometimes sold for
the price of a reproduction.

Water-color pictures are painted on paper with water-soluble
paints that come in tubes or cakes. A somewhat rough paper is
desired by most painters, for it adds textural interest to the other-
wise flat paint. The white of the paper is often left unpainted in
places throughout the picture, thereby contributing a sparkling
quality.

A good water-color painting is usually highly subjective and
requires a very different approach from the carefully considered
oil painting. Emotional intensity is necessary for painting a water
color. The artist has to work at top speed because otherwise the
paint dries so quickly as to interfere with his plans.

The water colorist must place his brush strokes in a sure way,
for he cannot change them or modify them. Any attempt to
scrub out or touch up a water color spoils it. If a mistake is made
the artist should start the picture again on another sheet of paper.
Technique is so important in a water color that slight errors in
drawing, in color, and even in composition should be overlooked
if the technique is perfect.

Different artists handle water colors differently, however. Some
use wet paper, and some dry. Others feature such characteristics
as large wash areas, many separate brush strokes, delicate blotted
areas, graded planes, crisp dry accents, or beautiful brush strokes.
Demuth's Begonias on page 408 exhibits fine water-color technique.

All water-color paintings should be spontaneous and fresh.
Usually they are treated broadly so that there is no niggling detail
in them. Water colors are as a rule somewhat sketchy so that the
observer has to exercise his own imagination in completing them,
One charm of water-color painting is that the accidental effects
often are better than those that are planned.

Water-color paintings are limited in size because the medium is
difficult to control. A 20 by 24 inch painting is about the maxi-
mum size for home use. Water colors are most effective for quick,
sparkling sketches, which are shorthand notes on nature.