The Theme

In the past few years watercolor has assumed the importance in the art world it rightly deserves. Watercolor with its freshness and vitality has an appeal distinctly its own. Today the old style of watercolor painting, which was largely thin washes over pencil, has been so developed that in its place we now find paintings of a depth and permanency that previously could have been achieved only in other mediums.

In Watercolor Made Easy it is my desire to try to dissolve the aura of difficulty that has surrounded watercolor painting for so long and to demonstrate aids in helping to make it a medium not to be feared but one to be loved and thoroughly enjoyed. A solid plan is a requisite to any good painting. This means proper division of space; after this these areas must be broken up into the desired shapes. Much drawing can be done while painting, but a completed drawing before putting brush to paper is advisable for the inexperienced. No amount of painting can correct mistakes in composition when there has been no thought given to a plan.

In this book, simple step-by-step procedures demonstrate the development of a watercolor from the initial conception to the finished painting. Also shown are graphic solutions of problems which many artists find particularly troublesome. It is commonly thought that it is impossible to correct an error in watercolor. This is a mistaken idea; with practice and good materials, it is perfectly possible to make certain corrections, additions, and even deletions. In "City Kids," below, I originally painted a red-and-white barber pole directly to the left of the iron fence. It was suggested by a friend that it might be a better picture without the pole. Upon thinking it over, I agreed and began the removal process by using clean warm water and a soft sponge, delicately patting the area until the pole disappeared, and then repainted the stones back into the picture. Can you locate the repainted area?

My aim in this book is to tell as clearly and concisely as possible how to make watercolor painting easier. It is not meant to be a literary treatise in which to express my views and theories of art. If it helps you and inspires you to paint, it will have fulfilled its purpose. Remember, no less a personage than Winslow Homer once told his art dealer, "You will see; in the future, I will live by my watercolor."

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