I've taught watercolor batik on rice paper before, in my own simplified way. I am, by no means, the expert. I found that the hardest concept for people to grasp is the idea of painting in layers of values, increasing the value each time you paint. Thinking about that, I thought it would be good to do a simple - sort of - picture on regular watercolor paper, increasing the values each time. I chose this photo from paint my photos, photographer Joseph Honings. ("below the old barn")
I made a simplified sketch.
Before doing any painting, I made a photocopy reduced to 60% in size.
I used this reduced size to decide what my values are. This is called a "map"
of my values. The colors are not chosen because they are actually that
value. Each one represents a value, and it is listed to the right in order
from lightest to darkest. The colors are chosen to make it easy for me to see
when to change values.
I decided where I want to have my whites, which will be my first value, and used miskit
to mask them off. Marked in violet/gray. (You can see the darker areas on stone, which are masking) You could
just paint around those areas if they are large enough.
When you do a batik, those whites will be your first wax.
Next, I painted the entire page with my lightest value. You could just use a same color throughout, or you could make each layer different colors, AS LONG AS THE VALUE is the same.
After that was dried, I decided which areas I want to stay that light value, and
painted around them with one value darker. (These are yellow on my map) (See how the waste cans on the right have been left that light value)
Those waste cans would have been your second wax in batik.
I forgot to take a picture of the next value, which left the wood above a lighter value. (those are a greenish yellow on my map) You would have waxed off the wood except some of the grain, plus anything else that would be that value.
This is the following step. See how
the side of the brick was left the lighter value, as was the front of the post, some
items in the back of the barn, and most of the stone. Red on the map.
In batik, the post, stone, and table and other items would have been waxed off.
Below, another value has been added to the shadows beneath the barn and to the window
and between bricks.That is the red on my map.
Another value, very dark this time, has been added to under the stone beneath the post, around the cans,
in between some cracks. The shadow on the stone wall is deepened, and some window panes
are added inside the shadows. For this, everything that is not that darkest value would
be waxed, and then that dark value painted in in a batik. Pink marks what would have been waxed. Dark Blue indicates the very darkest values.
I removed all the masking fluid from the whites. Now my painting has some very
strong values. I decided to put a red can in an otherwise monochrome painting.
Here are a few videos you can watch to understand why value is such an important element in your work.
Getting to know value (10 min) (includes how to make tonal scale)
Seven Tips for finding values
Diane Mize Quick Tip on discovering value range of colors
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