Linda Levy
Gestures
416 Westdale Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831.426.4906
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Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center
Gestural Watercolor Gallery
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The gestural approach pushes one to rely on "inner eye" strength: you quickly capture the essence of the pose, accentuating movement, details that make the pose unique or have somehow captured your eye. Your rational brain doesn't get to interfere.
To paint figures in 15 - 60 seconds requires I be ready with pots of color already mixed up. I work from light to dark, more water to less water. I work on Arches 140 # cold press watercolor paper, which I hold in an upright position to allow the colors to run down and blend, diffuse in interesting ways.
I start with a warm neutral color, with lots of water, and a big brush to capture the gestural motion of the pose. Strong light areas are left white (untouched). This defines the warm / light side of the figure.
I then use a medium brush with a cool color, typically manganese blue as I like the way it "granulates" when it moves / blends downward on the page. This is used to define the cool side / shadow side of the figure, immediately adding some dimension.
Lastly, I use a smaller round brush, with a more saturated cool color pigment, usually ultramarine blue or cobalt blue, and paint in gestural lines. Where the underlying figure is already wet, the line diffuses into the body. Where it hits dry paper, it leaves a defining sharp edge. I love both aspects of this line.