Lesson 33: Shade Tones (Watercolors)
What is Shade?
- Shades are the darker tones of a color.
- For example, make yellow darker, and shades of yellow are formed.
- A scale is an orderly series of tones, such as a scale of shades from dark to darker.
- Warm grays are added to form shades of red, orange, yellow, and green.
- Cool grays are added to form shades of blue and violet.
Drill Work Preparation:
- Divide the pad into four parts as shown in the top image by making a margin around the pad about half an inch from the edge.
- Then divide the upper edge into half by means of a dot, then each half into quarters in the same manner.
- If vertical division lines are desired, they may be drawn.
- Prepare a page like this for each of the drill exercises.
Drill Work Instructions:
- Incline the tablet and paint from the top downward.
- Leave a narrow space between the washes, otherwise they will run together.
- Mix wash 1 and paint part 1.
- Add a little shade color (e.g. warm/cool gray) to the wash and paint part 2.
- Add a bit more shade color to the wash and paint part 3.
- Add still more shade color to the wash and paint part 4, the darkest shade.
Drill Work:
- Paint the shade tones of a wash 4 of orange.
- Paint the shade tones of a wash 5 of yellow.
- Paint the shade tones of a wash 4 of green.
- Paint the shade tones of a wash 3 of blue.
- Paint the shade tones of a wash 3 of violet.