237-Drawing Children with a Splash of Watercolor
In Person | Available
In this workshop I will share the skills I used to create illustrations of children for my picture book projects. Learn to sketch children in active poses. I will teach the basics of figure drawing and constructing children in a variety of poses. The instruction will include painting silhouettes and thinking about the importance of edges in any drawing. We will use photo reference for the final drawing. For active models, like dogs and children, I like to take videos, then take screenshots of the best poses. Bring your own reference or use mine. The final drawing will use a splash of watercolor.
Bring a photo portrait or two as reference. Old black & white photo portraits are preferable.
• 140 lb hot press Arches WATERCOLOR PAPER, cut or torn to convenient size pieces (11 x 15 or smaller) or a 9 x 12” hot press block
• Tracing paper pad, about 9 x 12”. I recommend Canson (don’t get the Blick brand).
• nos. 8, 10, and 12 round NATURAL BRISTLE BRUSH (or nat’l bristle with a touch of synthetic) My current favorites are Silver Black Velvet rounds. Synthetic brushes by Princeton, Escoda or Lowe Cornell are also good.
• Soft pencil and a hard pencil. Also a kneaded eraser.
Winsor & Newton, Sennilier, Holbein, and Daniel Smith are excellent paints. If you’re new to watercolor, buy Cotman, the student grade of Winsor & Newton.
COLORS (IN TUBES)
Aureolin or Hansa Yellow
Light Quinacridone Gold or New Gamboge or Transparent Yellow
Burnt Sienna
Cadmium Red or Winsor Red or Pyrole
Quinacridone Rose or Permanent Rose
Alizarin Crimson
Violet or Mineral Violet
Ultramarine Blue
Cerulean or Cobalt Turquoise Light
Cobalt
Winsor (or phthalo) Blue
Neutral Tint or Black
• Palette for your paint.
• Mixing tray. Small butcher trays are ideal. Porcelain dishes are great too.
• Spray atomizer
I order my art supplies from Dick Blick online.
Doris Ettlinger
A graduate of RISD and the University of Wisconsin - Madison; teacher/coach of the Musconetcong Watercolor Group in Hampton NJ. She has illustrated 40 picture books for children. Her books feature a sensitive drawing style and skillful watercolor technique. Doris's work has been included in the 2024 International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society.
Please visit: www.dorisettlinger.com to link to her social media, YouTube and Etsy shop.