Trihue Watercolor, Week 4 | Dick Nelson Color

The fourth sessions of the Trihue Watercolor class for Winter 2018 were held on Wednesday, February 7 and Sunday, February 25. We critiqued the edges and gradations homework assignments. Transparency illusions, in the form of films and veils, were the new topic for the week. Dick showed transparency illusions from Albers’ Interaction of Color, pointing out ones that succeed, and some that fail because they are inconsistent with the actual phenomenon. Painting film illusions in watercolor is easy; painting veil illusions requires a painting strategy.

Week 3 homework: edges & gradations

Week 4 homework assignment and handouts

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Tips for painting strategies for films and veils can be found in this old post. See also the 2012 class post on films and veils, and the critique from the next week.

Demo photos

Videos – Class demos

Critiquing transparency illusions in the Albers book – 1

Film illusions. If it’s transparent, you can see through it – over all surfaces it covers. Recognizing opaque vs. transparent appearances. A casual arrangement provides good Gestalt. Films, veils, and false films. (17:01)

Critiquing transparency illusions in the Albers book – 2

Painting strategy for veils. Films darken, veils lighten. (4:53)

Critiquing transparency illusions in the Albers book – 3

Recognizing false/impossible transparency. (3:08)

Painting demo – film and veil

Film illusion. Every single cast shadow is a film. Veil illusion. Veil painting strategy: build up layers. Tactic: to avoid brushstrokes caused by paint drying when covering a large area, wet the area first. (20:02)

Painting demo – Transparency illusion and painting strategy for films

Films are easy in watercolor: every layer of paint is a film. (2:33)

Painting demo – Transparency illusion and painting strategy for veils

Creating the illusion of a veil takes advance planning and careful observation of values. (4:33)

Opaque or transparent?

Why study films and veils? Mastering these illusions allows you to create visual magic. Changing background colors change your perception of which shape is opaque and which is transparent.