The Way of Watercolor

In this four-part series, Stephen Berry lends his thoughts and expertise in the realm of watercolor painting

- By Stephen Berry

Inside, watercolor, 30 x 22 (76 x 55 cm)

PART 1

Thinking Negatively

As a watercolor artist, I move from light to dark. And the lights, once relinquished, are hard to reclaim, sometimes impossible. As such, the lights are precious, and to be preserved. Which is true— illumination is what sings in a painting. The trap, however, is when we become too tentative and our fear of ruining the lights makes us do exactly that. Dynamic lighting needs strong, compelling darks to really succeed, and negative shapes can help us achieve that. We must be daring with our darks! The light is what sings, but the chorus of darks is what helps it do so.