Q: How to simplify in watercolors?

A question I asked in a comment on youtube:

As a complete beginner to watercolors (just did my first painting attempt yesterday), do you have some hints or guide on how to simplify things? This is the one aspect that I seem to be really struggling with: how can I reduce detail? It feels to me that if I skip some element, it will be cheating and not the real painting of what I tried to paint - but even if I get myself to do the decision, I’m then left confused what to fill the space with where the thing was… sometimes it can be just the sky, but not always - if it is a bunch of trees or buildings, they can have quite complex features/lines… and again, e.g. for buildings I’m frustrated with how to reduce their complexity while keeping their character, or how to call it… for sky/trees, it seems to be simpler with watercolor, as the paint naturally forms “organic” patterns of texture, but buildings tend to have lots of sharp features - how to simplify them?..

Some notes based on some videos by Matthew White:

• squint and look for large shapes (via); see little shapes in more of a connected way
• again: squint; look for the large (connected) shapes of the scene (a.k.a. values/midtones?), values that are similar - "we are very good at seeing small details and thinking in terms of them, because we’re very familiar with those objects; we try to replicate what we think something looks like, rather than how it actually looks/appears; instead, think in terms of shapes of what we see [note: this seems to match “design” stage from Ian Roberts videos]; moreover, focus on the simple statement of the scene, what drew us to the scene in the first place - focus on what is important and minimize the rest [note: this seems to match the “structure/composition” stage from Ian Roberts videos]; finally, step back (from the painting) often.
  • “edge, contrast, color, and texture - those are the things that will draw you to the area of the painting” - so reducing/increasing them can help steer the focus of the viewer (maximize in the focal area/main area of interest, minimize elsewhere)
• imply detail (…how?)
• grab the brush further away from the tip (not like a pen) - less controlled, more open to more interesting ways of using the brush
• TODO: value study, “mid-tones shape” - exercises how to study?
  • "large, connected shape of middle values"
  • look at the photo/image in black & white

Some videos by Ian Roberts:

• ~claim: “layers from behind” (via “How to Simplify (…)”) - "structure (inc. cropping & framing) -> value masses (“design”) -> actual picture & details fall out from this"
  • structure/cropping&framing: [“what we’re attracted to? what grabs our attention? keep it or cut it because distracts?”] [“movement of eyesight between main elements; the rest is simple and just supports it”]
  • "focus on big, simple, flat masses of value"
• from comments: “‘See each painting as an exercise’; that way your approach is less precious.”
• “if it’s not helping your painting, it’s hurting it” “our vision is led by our resonance with something out there in the world; for whatever reason! it goes off” (my comment: maybe that’s also why painting is vulnerability: because it exposes to people what triggered that resonance in me)
  • quote from Charles Mingus, a jazz bassist and composer: "Making the simple complicated - is commonplace. Making complicated simple - awesomely simple - that’s creativity"
  • my comment I added: “That made me start to think, or maybe start to realize, that this may be the reason why there is vulnerability in painting: because it exposes to people what triggered that resonance in me, and thus publicly displays some very core and intimate part of me. And a part that, intrinsically, will be different in others. Thus making them not understand it, criticize it, have a different view on it - because they may have somewhat different ways how they resonate with the world, and with things in it.”

(unrelated, for later: “adding a slight bit of detail to [some area] of the background creates an interplay between the [interesting area of foreground and that area of background] and thus manufactures an manufactures a stronger sense of depth”; also, “edges hold our attention”)

(unrelated, for later: “What Happens When You Don’t Plan Before Painting”)

(unrelated, for later: keeping the viewer in the image; also, a note about conventions and rules)

for later: composition

unrelated, for later: insights into artistic growth

value study (in watercolors)

(“values are the most important thing because they portray/unlock the light in the scene”)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RNYr0q-w8k

• squint
• "take the reference photo black and white"
• “large, middle-connected unifying shape of the scene”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1RqEjru1bk

• how to create a value study, in one color

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b-ERpv33TU

• how to paint the large connected middle area of the scene
• find connections
• keep the pencil down on the paper most of the time, as much as you can - will help with connectivity
  • pay more attention to the outline of the shape, not what is inside the shape

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVb66c-o9Eo

• another example

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwTBkS8rhk

• example by another artist

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gI0AicMHpQ

• experimenting with value studies

unrelated, for later

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ3VbGHooDI

• paint consistency: “tea <-> milk <-> cream <-> butter”; they "behave different on a tilted palette, from most runny to non-moving glue-like"
  • seems to kinda match the “lights <-> midtones <-> details” split

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0OUEHsc8_c

• hints on practicing & routine
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN6HiZQDzA0
  • on rejection as a sign of practice

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C99cN0kBYOY

• exaggerate the interesting part a bit