How to Paint Vases Casting Colorful Shadows in Watercolor

Glass is a challenging but fun thing to paint. Since glass is transparent and watercolor is a transparent medium, it is the perfect choice to capture the play of light on glass objects.

EditSteps

EditPreparing

1. Find, at home or at the thrift shop, transparent colored glass vases, jars and drinking glasses of various shapes.  Clear colored plastic can work well for this project, too.
   
2. Use drinking glasses from the cupboard at home if you wish.  Fill them with water tinted with food coloring.
   
3. Select a piece of 11 x 14 inch, 140# watercolor paper.  Place it in either landscape or portrait orientation.  Just plan to place the vases high enough in your composition to allow for space to show the cast shadows.
   
4. Gather other supplies.  Watercolors in either tubes or pans work fine.  Add an assortment of all purpose or watercolor brushes, water, a pencil, eraser, masking fluid/frisket, lined composition paper, scissors and tissues.  Place all supplies on the side of your dominant hand to avoid dripping on your painting as you work.
   
5. Arrange a simple still life.  Use a few glass vases or jars in varying colors and shapes.
   
6. Observe closely to see the effect light will have on your subject.
7. Play with how various lighting will effect your subject.  Try various light sources; strong day light coming from behind, light from a lamp placed on one side, or use "artistic license" and make up a dramatic light source by using your imagination.
   
8. Look a hard to see where the most vivid highlights are occurring on each vase.  They will most likely be found at the object's edges.  These darks and lights will define the shape of your objects.
   
9. Notice that in the middle of the vase, you will see through the glass.  Things behind might be distorted.

EditDrawing and Painting

1. Draw your layout.  Be careful to keep each side of the vases even and having the exact curvature.  Make perfect agreement your goal and make refinements as needed.
   
2. Simplify things, if you wish, by making templates of the vases.  Fold a piece of lined, school paper in half lengthwise and draw one side of the vase.  Cut through both layers to create a template of each vase or jar.
   
3. Move the templates around on your paper.  Try various compositions.
   
4. Draw around each template in pencil.  Remove the templates and refine your drawing.  Add thickness at the bottom and mouths of the jars, finish the ellipses at top and bottom, too.  If there are swirls or decorations on the vases, draw that, as well.
   
5. Use a small brush loaded with masking fluid. This rubber medium will reserve the white highlights on the edges of the objects. Allow it to dry thoroughly.
   
6. Designate body color of the vases. Paint a transparent, sheer wash of color over each vase. Let the brush skip over the vase to create some lively white shapes on the vase. Let this first layer dry thoroughly. Use a hair dryer if you wish.
   
7. Do a second layer. Mix a darker value of each color and paint the dark highlights. Each pure white highlight must be accented with a very dark highlight. Let your strokes skip and be broken to avoid outlining.
8. Draw the table's edge. Use a ruler and have the line go right through the vases. This will help with the illusion of transparency.
9. Use the darker color to work on the mouths, feet, swirls, or other details of the vases.
10. Paint the background, above the table's edge. Dark gray or even black is a great way to show off the colored vases.
    
11. Do the cast shadows. Mix the same color you used for the vase and touch a brush loaded with that color to the bottom edge of the vase. Run a splashy expanse of plain, clean water in the foreground and allow the wet paint to fill the wet area without helping it. Keep each shadow separate by drying it before attempting to do another. If they overlap slightly as you paint them, they will remain separate, clear shapes if done on dry paper, next to a dry painted area. Dry the piece thoroughly.

EditFinishing Up

1. Check to see if you need to add anything. Stand up the piece and step away from it to view it with a critical eye.
2. Put a line of dark gray to "ground" each vase. Follow that with a swiggle of plain water to create a light shadow.
3. Unmask the vases. Remove the masking fluid with a piece of honeycomb, rubber carpet backing, a rubber cement lifter, or your finger.
4. Enjoy your work. Try this project again. Possibilities are endless and after your first attempt your confidence will grow and it will show in the painting.
   

EditTips

• Doing cast shadows, avoid making them too perfect or they will look like strange appendages to the vases. Sheer, transparent and abstract is the goal.
• Keep the composition simple. Stagger and overlap the objects.
• Try different vantage points, viewing things from slightly above, at or below eye level. Play with the table's edge, make it an angle or place the objects in a corner.
• Alternatives to masking fluid are wax drawn on your paper with a white candle, or white crayon. This will be permanent but the wax will resist wet paint and form lovely white highlights.
• Avoid outlining objects. Skip and vary line weight in your highlights.
• Clean is the hallmark of watercolor. Change water often, wash brushes thoroughly and most importantly, dry a wet area thoroughly before attempting to paint another wash over it.

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