Beginning Watercolor Homework : A Hard Edge is a Hard Edge, but a Soft Edge Asks, "How Soft?"

This sketch was mostly made on dry paper. The edges of the poplars, the shadows and the ridges

are all hard, Only a few strokes within the mountain shape and the sky are soft. The cloud edges are very soft, which makes a lively juxtaposition.

In this similar study the sky is very soft, again, using the same hard/soft contrast as the previous scene. Here, though, the edges of the trees are soft; not as soft as the clouds, you can see that the trees don't feather out as much. The trees' edges are softer than the dark rocks, but harder than the clouds.   Softness is relative.

Each subject of this sketch uses both hard and soft edges. Look at the brown trees; Some bleed into the mountain and some are distinctly separated from their the shadows and the snow. The mountain loses part of its ridge into the sky. It's as if the components of the landscape are all present, but they will not hold onto their boundaries. This sketch is close to being too loose to recognize. 

How much of the identity of the shapes can we afford to lose?

For homework, use one of these photos, below, to experiment with finding snd losing edges: Make a version with mostly soft edges, or one with only hard edges.Mixed edges?

The object of the exercise is to be deliberate in your choices, based on what looks and feels right. Go easy on the correcting.

 Feel free to change the edges in this sketch