A 365 day art project… one drawing a day
Followed a Sheeler tutorial called “pen and ink sketching on painted paper adding white highlights.” Which pretty much says it all. I painted the paper, I drew the sketch, I added white ink highlights. It DOESN’T say, however, that I had my day numbers all messed up all week! So had to go back and adjust them all. (Had you noticed?)
So I borrowed Peter Sheeler’s style for this one… and without his tutorial it was crazy hard!! I had to do it twice, my perspective was so skewed the first time. I edited the photo on my computer to add grid lines and tried again. It’s better, as you’ll see. But not Sheeler-good. I hate to post my crooked one, but I will for transparency’s sake! (But see how I kept it smaller? I HAD to. It pains me so to post it!) Even with the grid I was still off. But I figured it’s my interpretation, not a photo. (right??) I think the biggest weakness of mine, really, is the lack of light. The light in the photo is gorgeous, and I totally missed it.
I used a new set of brushes I’ve been asked to review, for this painting and the past day or two’s. I will post my review of them soon.
(PS biggest thing I learned today… if I’m having trouble, don’t be afraid to cheat. It isn’t really cheating. All’s fair in love, war, and art)
Now this makes me feel like an artist. Even though I basically followed someone else’s idea again. I love it.
So today I’m working on new paper – WHICH I LOVE!! Yeah, paper makes a big difference, it turns out. I’m not suddenly a better painter. But it is more satisfying to use, that’s for certain. I’m using a “windsor & newton artist’s watercolor paper” spiral bound pad, 140 lb (so nice and thick), cold pressed (which means the surface will be textured… hot pressed makes it smooth), made from 100% cotton. It’s only 12 sheets, so it is more expensive than my canon xl pad. And they are both 140 lb, but this one just feels better. And the water loves it! I’m ordering more. (I got these at Jerry’s Artarama, see link)
I’m also using new M Graham watercolor paints. (Oooh, I love them.) I received two in this month’s Artsnacks subscription box, which really surprised me, because I had just decided after much heart wrenching research and deep anguish to invest in those, and had ordered four on my own. So now I have five. I know, that math is off. I’m not great at math, but I am better than THAT. Of the two I received in my subscription box, one is white, which I don’t really count as a color in my palette, although I’ll probably use it sometime.
I purchased the paints and an Artbin slimline magnetic palette at merriartist.com (see links). The palette is just what I wanted, and it only cost $6.50! It holds up to 18 one inch square pans to hold the paints, which are purchased separately at under 50 cents each, and is magnetic to hold them in place (it can be used without the pans for pins, cutting blades, etc, if preferred). Typical watercolor sets come with very tiny half pans. Deep but small, and I want more room for bigger brushes, or for mixing in the wells. Even full pans aren’t very large (although they are deeper) These pans are quite shallow, but large enough for bigger brushes. And you can mix paints in the clear lid, if desired (I much prefer using my ceramic dishes to plastic, though) The only way it could be better is if the pans were deeper.
So I have (from the bottom up) ultramarine, hansa yellow, quinacridone rose, scarlet pyrrol, and terra rosa. And besides those five colors, look what I can do just playing around:
Quite a nice, emotional, earthy bunch, huh? Very rich. I only really want another blue and yellow, or two, and a red, and I will have a huge palette. And with just those colors I have now, I painted my flower…
I’m one of those irritating people never satisfied with less. But I’m finding less is better as far as my color choices.
Attempt two, without the tutorial. This one is specifically for a swap. I have these three keen little “machines”, the Xyron 510, the Xyron Creative Station, and a small Xyron 1.5 inch sticker maker… they can hold different cartridges (I think the littlest one only makes stickers)… to make magnets, permeant or removable stickers, and laminate items. The large one currently makes stickers, the medium 510 laminates. They take only a few seconds to work and are some of my favorite tools. So I ran this painting through the laminator and now have a handpainted bookmark ready to go! (Now I’m wondering if I let it dry long enough before I laminated it)
Because, in typical fashion, I did not get a card out to my sister for her birthday, I chose one of her favorite themes for today. Here’s what it could have looked like, Debbie. Happy birthday!
To be honest, I didn’t understand really where we were going with this tutorial until it was too late, but I learned some interesting techniques and a much looser watercolor method, using layers, lots of water, and negative space. (there were so many layers here!) I hope to try this one again, either the same thing or a similar image. I like it, but I can do better, especially now that I know where it was going. I think.
Another tutorial from thefrugalcrafter. Lindsey. I pretend she is my friend and we have a first name kind of relationship.
From a tutorial by thefrugalcrafter on youtube. Don’t go look it up… mine doesn’t look like hers! I like my leftover palette as much as my picture… but it’s all good practice!
So, I tried this tutorial 4 times. (look in the “featured image” on this page and you will see where my tape tore one of the bottom corners of the paper) I’m not particularly satisfied with any of the results, but did learn several interesting techniques, and there are bits of each one that I like. One technique involves actually damaging the paper for the highlights in the berries. (and you thought it was a white pen. No, it’s a SCRATCH…!??) Another involved a pencil eraser used as a paint stamp. And there was lots and lots of water.
The first couple of steps…
The raspberries are cute. These are little pictures of all the different attempts.
Yeah, another tutorial. Get used to it… I’m planning to paint my way to the end of the internet. (Or to the end of internet tutorials that interest me, at least. There are a lot.)
So I have two attempts here. Both have serious flaws. But really the paper is my biggest weakness right now. I’m using what I now understand is a student grade paper, and you can see on one of the paintings how it’s even pilling a bit. It’s fine if you only use a bit of water but not great for heavy washes or multiple runs of color.
So I’ve finally decided to invest in some good quality paper and see if it makes a difference. You can see on my first attempt I had trouble keeping the paper wet, and I was working very quickly. So between dry paper and pilling paper, cheap brushes, and student grade paints… I’m going to begin upgrading supplies over the next few weeks, as I can. (I’ve already spent weeks trying to make decisions about paint brands to begin with!! They are so expensive, I don’t want to regret my first quality purchase!!)
ThreeSixFiveArt 