Wednesday, April 17, 2024
I finally figured out what art journaling is for, for me
Thursday, April 4, 2024
And the search goes on and on and...
Here's what I've been up to since last I posted. Derwent Inktense blocks and Pencils.
I e joyed it but it wasn't as fulfilling as it once was. I've done better with the medium and I've done worse. In the first painting I used blocks and some pencils. In the second I used mostly pencils. I prefer the softer touch of the second piece.
Well, one would think that I would continue on to do more work with Inktense but, I'm not. I put away the inktense and pulled out my water soluble graphite pencils and my watercolor pencils and trying my hand at glazing. I've started on my latest project and with composition in place, I'm activating the graphite one area at a time and then I'll glaze with watercolor pencils in tge same way. So far I'm enjoying it and enjoying not taping it. I will tape the last of the project so everyone can see the process but I really enjoy not worrying about camera angles and narration. In fact, I've not narrated mt last 2 or 3 videos. Amazingly, as much as I talk, especially at the library where I have to talk to people, I like working in silence. I even enjoy working with the sound of a mystery or tv show in the background.
Which brings me to my latest quandary. Hiw to keep up my YouTube channel without doing the normal demos. I've been watching a few YTERS for ideas and I think il on the verge of the verge of the verge of a new approach.
I want it to be better. I want it to be more interesting. I'm praying on it. Seriously. Inspiration is needed and prayed for.
Thanks for sticking with me.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
More about acrylic inks
In my last post I shared the background for the chickadee. Here is the completed piece. I used the acrylic inks to paint the bird as well. While they covered beautifully, I was surprised, somehow, at how thick they seemed to me. The bird, while cute, isn't as delicate as I would have liked. I painted this piece on art board.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Acrylic is a water based medium too!
A few days ago I created a new composition and got out my watercolor paints and brushes and started to work and it was a disaster. I had no control. I just couldn't guide the paints in the direction I wanted to go. I ripped up the canvas and just thought it over. I needed to have control. Better control of my medium. I pulled out my acrylic inks and paints and brushes and markers and some 5 x 5 art boards and started a new project. Well, two and I'm on my third.
I used the acrylic ink on the background and then drew in and painted the birds. I used the droppers from the ink bottles; in this one blue and white; and sprayed it with a mister and tilted the tile and let it dry. Actually the only reall control I had was what colors to add. I can never duplicate this background. I like it.
In this painting of the Winged Warbler I used sepia, green, yellow and white in the same manner as I did with the painting of the Robin above and once again I had no control save the color selection. I like it.
I've done this before and I've always enjoyed the serendipitus outcome of letting the colors arrange themselves. Somehow, this is something that I could never do with watercolor. Watercolor requires as much control as it does looseness but with acrylic inks it's letting go.
I do like letting go.
Then I drew in the birds and painted them with acrylic paints. The video for the Winged Warbler is available for viewing. Just click on the image to watch. There is no narration. I just didn't feel like talking about what I was doing and for the most part, what I was doing was pretty self-evident. Or maybe not.
So now I am working with acrylics again and experimenting with ways to incorporate watercolor techniques. But I think I'll have to work on watercolor paper for that since canvas and art board really don't absorb water.
Here is a photo of stage 1 of my third painting. I used orange, sepia and white. The image is still wet and settling and takes about 2 hours to dry. But it will be similar to this image. Then I'll draw a chickadee on it and start painting. This time I'm going to try to incorparate the background into the image. I'll let you know when it's done.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
All watercolor paints are not the same.
Today I am reporting on my research about watercolor paints. So far I know that a few companies like Winsor and Newton and Schminke produce watercolors set that have opaque, transparent, granular and staining and they can all be opaque or transparent or semitransparent or semiopaque. Wow!
Kuratake Gansai Tambi watercolor paints which I own and have used with much joy are opaques. No transparency if you don't count that the more water you use the lighter the hue; no granulation. They are intended to be opaque and vivid and they are.
Sennelier, my preferred watercolor, has opaque, semiopaque, transparent and semitransparent paints. No granular paints; no stains. Now I realize that my watercolors tend to be tighter in technique because I generally use a limited palette like that Zorn palette which is opaque in nature. I didn't know. Now I do but I'm not sure that will change anything. Well, I'll try to use the primary colors and employ some transparent and semitransparent hues.
I stopped reading after all of this and realized that if you wish to focus on a particular type of watercolor you need to so some research before you buy anything. I'm happy with the few Winsor and Newton tubes that I use and my Sennelier Fine Watercolor and student grade and my travel set. I do love my travel set. I don't do Pleinair painting. Just don't like it. But, with my limited work space, the fewer the tubes or smaller the travel set the better.
I just received, two days ago, the Meed 42 color Traveller's Watercolor set and I'm looking forward to using it. I've wanted it for some time and the price was right. For $16.95 I got the paints and four water brushed. Nifty. I'm not certain I'll use the water brushes. I have several and I use them with Inktense for the most part and sometimes watercolor pencils. I have read some reviews and I can see why you need to be sure that the palettes are dry before closing up or they'll create a mess. I"ll let you know when I try them.
I did just give Prang Oval 8 watercolor buttons a shot and I was impressed with the vibrance of the color and the ease of use. Not lightfast so not for paintings I want to sell but heres' a painting I did in my latest video.
There was no reference photo. I looked at one mushroom and added a couple more in different positions. The color is strong. I painted wet on dry with a touch of wet on wet and the paints preformed well. I think if you're just starting out with watercolor painting Prang is a good set to start with. They retail for $8 to $10 but can be gotten for $4 or $5. Then, if you don't enjoy the method, you haven't lost very much.I understand that Schminke uses a triangle rather than a square. When checking out watercolor paints at the art supply store, turn over the tube and take a look. It may or may not make a difference to you.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Experiment in black
I finished my video on painting with black watercolors and you can click HERE to watch.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Black, to use ir not to use
Well, some say make your own black. Some say absolutely use black from te tube. I say it depends on whether or not there is actual black in the composition.
Many artists say mixing your paints with black creates mud. Well, sometimes that will happen. Sometimes it won't and, I believe, a great deal depends on which black you use. Although to the naked eye under normal light all of the common paint blacks look alike. The hues I'm talking about are Ivory, Lamp and Mars and I have used all of them. There are other shades of black which come from the many manufacturers but Ivory, Lamp and Mars are most common.
Black is the subject of my upcoming video but I thought I'd share sone of my observations.
This is a test I did mixing Winsor Newton Yellow with each of the black paints, from left to right: Ivory, Lamp and Mars. I used about a 50/50 mix of yellow and black and below are the results. Ivory Black: greenish brown; Lamp black: a brownish black and Mars black: a yellow green.