Creative Jumpstart: Think of One Big Shape

This jumpstart is a really a lesson I work on a lot with my students, it involves trying to make a painting by taking all of the principle subject matter and tying these separate pieces of information into one creative dark middle value shape.  If done well you will have considered how the shape works against the white paper, which will stay white and you will have create an interesting and complex shape composed of all of the important images in your subject matter.  Try to get the shape to move all over the paper and not just be a static line across the middle of the paper.  Also think of how you handle the edges of the shape, try to get a variety of edges, textured, hard and blended and try to create some nice areas where the white of the background is worked into the major dark shape.  This exercise will result in a nice traditional watercolor with a very modern composition.  Give it a whirl. 15 x 22 watercolor “Dock in Camden Harbor, Maine”15 x 22 watercolor “On the Potomac”15 x 22 watercolor “Students at Pemaquid”