Our speaker for the night was Frank Francese, who gave a demo of his method or creating realistic, yet abstract looking watercolors. He uses a full sheet of Arches 140# watercolor paper, usually a large flat brush, and lots of water and color. He does no drawing on the paper, just following a black-and-white sketch he made, usually on site. He starts by drawing the background, saving the whites for highlights. He adds shapes in color. This demo was of a street scene, so the shapes were buildings and streets. He literally builds the town on paper, putting in the major shapes first, then adding some details to define the particular building. In one hour, Frank completed a full-size watercolor, commenting and joking, and wowing everyone in the audience. Frank commented to paint fast to paint from the heart.
Frank Francese, NWS, TWSA- Master
Frank starts his painting with broad strokes
As the painting progresses:
Frank continues to create shapes with color
Frank adds detail and shadows
The finished painting