Pack a Punch With Darks and Details

Ron Stocke demonstrates his process for combining shapes and ending with a punch of darks.

Step 1

Step 1
“I started with a wash of cobalt blue and added cadmium orange just before I laid in a second wash of yellow ochre for the distant buildings, and a mixture of burnt sienna and purple for the foreground,” says Ron Stocke. “Some yellow ochre and a light wash of purple were scribbled into the tree on the right. The accent colors for the awnings and faces were applied just before this first wash dried completely.”

 

Step 2

Step 2
“I hit the awning on the main building with cadmium red and added sap green to the tree,” he says. “I did this now, so that I could connect the shapes later.”

 

Step 3

Step 3
“Next, I started what would be the beginning of one large shadow that would cover almost two-thirds of the painting,” says the artist. “I was careful to start grabbing figures, signs, and other objects that I wanted to be connected and not look cut out and pasted on. I also applied shadows on the distant building.”

 

Step 4

Step 4
“I continued the shadow that I started at the furthest point of the painting all the way to the foreground, so that it now takes up most of the painting. To do so, I used a mixture of burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, and purple. I made sure to keep the shapes of the tables that are set out in rows in front of the quaint French café.”

 

Step 5

Step 5
“With most of the painting done, I quickly suggested afew figures and some other details, like the arches, additional awnings, windows, and a shadow on the tree.”

 

“Lunch in Limoux” (watercolor, 14 x 21 in.)

Final Step
“A finish with calligraphy competed the painting. Using a thick mixture of honey-based M. Graham’s ultramarine blue and maroon, I was able to achieve my darkest darks — an element I see missing in most watercolors.”

Learn how three contemporary masters capture the energy of the city in watercolor.


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