Project 2 — Marbles in the Sun

What Will I Learn?

• how shadows, highlights and reflected light work (and give us clues about form and space)
• how to suggest a soft highlight
• how to suggest natural-looking shadows
• how to suggest a shadow that includes some transmitted light (shining through a partially transparent object).

Then you’ll use your understanding of highlights and shadows to paint three cat’s-eye marbles in the sunlight.

Project Prerequisites:

• all lessons in the Getting Started Lesson
• How to Transfer a Drawing from Project 1 (Spring Chickadee)
• How to Make and Apply Vibrant, Juicy Color from Project 1 (Spring Chickadee)
• Mechanics of Mixing from Project 1 (Spring Chickadee)

Supplies You Will Need:

• supplies listed in the Required Materials list for Watercolor Jumpstart set up and ready to paint
• pencil and kneaded eraser
• woodless pencil or graphite stick (optional, but handy) or a regular pencil
• a 1/16th (approx. 5 1/2 x 7 1/2″, 14 x 19 cm) sheet of watercolor paper for the project, taped to your support board
• at least five 1/16th approx. 5 1/2 x 7 1/2″, 14 x 19 cm) sheets of watercolor paper for the project lessons
• several scrap pieces of watercolor paper for testing and practicing colors and brushstrokes (if you are just starting out you may not have any such “scraps” yet; but as you go along save all your exercise and practice sheets and use the backs as your “test sheets”)

Note: Set your printer to “no scaling” or “print actual size” instead of “fill page” to print the templates at the correct size for your watercolor paper.