Category: Uncategorized

Belated Wedding Wishes: 5/26/19

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So, over a year ago… ugh. A long time ago… within a brief span of time, we had five local nephews get married. FIVE. I am JUST now getting gift cards out to them. I wanted to do something special for the first one, then another got engaged, then another. It snowballed out of control! We had a new business opening at the same time, and life was chaotic. I never did get the very special something I wanted to do for each one made or purchased, but I figured, in this case I’d better just do what I can rather than keep postponing until I can do something better!! And… everyone enjoys getting a gift card in the mail unexpectedly. I hope.

A couple of weeks ago I found really cute Target gift cards and… guess what? Stores don’t seem to carry Happy Belated Wedding cards. (I guess it’s just me!) So I made some to match.

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Matching envelopes!

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Two down, three to go. (Belated) Congratulations all around!!

The Girl With Green Hair, 5/25/19

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I was asked to paint (draw? sketch?) a Girl With Green Hair. I had planned to make her very cartoonish, with exaggerated features, and maybe make her skin or lips/eyes green, too, maybe clothes as well, but I found a reference photo that inspired me (I did not see a name though, I’m sorry!) and decided to just do her like a girl. But with green hair. Not so unusual these days anyway.

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Baohong cotton watercolor paper

Uniball Air pen… I’ve gotten several new uniball pens I love. I’ll link them in future posts, but feel free to ask in the comments if you can’t wait and I’ll link there.

Schmincke watercolors: Helio turquoise, caput mortum, naples yellow reddish, perylene violet, olive green yellowish. and a touch of phthalo green, but I think that mostly washed away when I switched to the helio..

Yellow Flamingo 5/22/19

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For a “yellow” swap on swap-bot.com:

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I hope she thinks there is enough yellow in it to count as a yellow swap. It is much brighter yellow in person.

I used Baohong hot press paper, QoR watercolors, uniball Air micro pen

(edit: I attached it to a watercolor card and put a bright yellow envelope with it. Very pretty, and definitely yellow-themed! The intended recipient likes flamingoes, so I think she will enjoy using it!)

Urban sketching at the Mariners Museum in Newport News 5/10/19

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Today we went to the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia for a relaxing afternoon of sketching (and picnicking… I had every intention of sketching our picnic as well, then completely forgot to!!) Weather was perfect, too.

Some “artistic license” (aka mistakes in perspective and placement) was taken, but no harm done!

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Since I placed the building too far up, I added the ship wind-thingy in an oval at the bottom of the page. I drew with my pen, no pencil first, so mistakes just became another element. Next time, though, I’ll know to check the height and width of my subject more closely (maybe)

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Someone stopped and told us how happy Claude would be that his surfboard display had inspired us. So, Claude, this one’s for you. (Mandy’s was AMAZING!!)

Actual figureheads in the lobby.. Mars… and 3200 pound eagle… from the 1800s.

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Mandy was right… shimmery gold paint is fun.

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I’m finding I use Daniel Smith Buff Titanium watercolor every time I paint now… a color I was CERTAIN I didn’t need. But now that I have tried it, it is a staple in my palette. I’ve linked the 5ml tube here on Amazon… it’s between $7.50 and $7.79 right now. If you have an art store nearby that sells Daniel Smith paints, they will have this color, too.

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I’ve also just received THIS Meeden ceramic palette… it is $13.99 on Amazon at this writing. I am trying to be conscious about how much paint I wash away, from brushes and palettes, and I like this palette because I think I can keep a big well or two to use for random neutral mixes or special colors, wiping out as needed, but use each other well for specific color families, and keep them. Yellow, red, blue, green, etc… then each time I paint try going directly to the well with paint in it from the previous time, instead of washing the palette between or hunting for space on a palette I haven’t washed. I think it will work pretty nicely!

Finally, I wanted to share THIS Meeden watercolor palette and pan set… at $9.99 right now, I think it’s a great deal and I was really impressed with its quality. The metal palette pan is sturdy, and comes with 24 watercolor empty half pans. I see these pans frequently for $12, $13, $15, so it isn’t a HUGE savings, just letting you know (I got myself one 🙂

About affiliate links: I do get a very small dividend from Amazon if someone purchases from this link, which about quarterly I put towards an art supply I use, and review for you, so I appreciate if you purchase through a link (even if it is a different item), but I only link things I enjoy using or think may be helpful to you, and am not asked by the sellers to review these items, or given a special price on them. I always recommend you shop around a bit, because Amazon prices fluctuate, so these prices will go up and down. If the price seems high and you can wait it out, it may go lower. 🙂

Urban sketching with the hampton roads group this evening

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At the beach!! My favorite.

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Some beach-goers (and Donna 🙂

 

 

It was a beautiful evening, perfect for being outside. Okay, actually, the wind was an inconvenience to the paints and the paper, but felt so lovely that it was worth it!

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100 people in a week???

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So the challenge was 100 people in a week. I didn’t. I only participated one time, while stuck in a waiting room. All these people were waiting, too. 🙂

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My favorite (he is SPOT ON!!!) :IMG_8655

So. A fail for the challenge, but a win for me. I never would have just sat and sketched people without it.

 

PS. The advent of the personal cell phone aka pocket computer and entertainment system has really been an urban artist’s dream come true. Everybody just sits still.

 

The Vet… And urban sketching set up.

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To be honest, Emmett and Clara like going here. They just don’t like getting weighed (!?)

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Travel palette I used:

(although I’ve created one I like even more since this sketch, which I will show you soon)

My colors here are all daniel smith: lemon yellow, perylene red, ultramarine (which I rarely use), cerulean blue chromium, phthalo turquoise, green apatite genuine, and lunar red rock. I really enjoy playing with phthalo turquoise and lunar red rock together! And the case is a pill box I found on ebay for about a dollar, using little empty makeup pans with magnets beneath them, for mixing areas. (Wait till you see my next palette, though! Stay tuned!)

I clipped the journal to a dollar tree clipboard for sketching and painting, and attached a heavy magnetic clip to the board, which held the paint palette and a water cup (also with magnets)

and I used this little bag, made for a mini iPad and its cords etc, to carry everything.

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It is $15 right now on Amazon. I love it. I got the next size up, too, which was on sale that day for $9!! I love the color, it holds what I need, and I attached a shoulder strap from another bag to it (it comes with a wrist strap) If it held my clip board too it would be PERFECT. I’m working on that. It has two separate zippered compartments… the front has elastic and pockets, and one larger zippered mesh area. PERFECT for holding my water brushes, pen, ruler, clips, and even a thin palette. The back has a pocket that exactly holds my moleskin or pentalic journal, then two mesh pouches in which I put my two large magnets. Here I show it with the palette and my terry wristband (I use this like a paper towel) but the day I was out painting I actually had those in the front zippered mesh section,  and this bottom pouch held my water cup.

This is NOT a great bag if you want to take a ton of stuff, but it is perfect if you need pen or pencil, eraser, sharpener, travel or water brush, clips, phone or charger, and medium sized journal. The shoulder strap I added from my own collection really makes it convenient.

(Disclosure: I’ve included an Amazon Affiliate link to the bag… if you purchase through the link, it supports this blog, but costs you the same amount.  However always shop around for deals. I generally find my best prices on Amazon and buy many of my supplies through them, however their prices can fluctuate daily.)

(I’m going to add one more link because it is (Currently!) such a good price…this set of 6 Daniel Smith Primatek paints… The primates are made out of minerals ground into paint, and most of those I’ve tried I really love. This set is $23.98 right now… Even at $30+ to me it would be a good deal for 6 -5ml Primatek tubes! It contains Mayan Blue Genuine, Rhodonite Genuine, Hematite Genuine, Jadeite Genuine, Piemontite Genuine, and Amethyst Genuine (which has the sweetest little glittery sparkle to it!) I haven’t tried some of these, but just added Piemontite and Rhodonite to my newest travel palette, I love them so. Good luck, if you try them! Let us know what you think!)

So… what suggestions do you have for an urban sketching kit?

Bee and cherry blossoms

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Cherry blossom feast, Chesapeake, VA, (my front yard!) April 5, 2019. Daniel Smith watercolor paints (phthalo turquoise, lunar red rock, piemontite, quinacridone gold, and a bit of bloodstone added to the bee. I also used lunar blue as under-shadows. Sketched and painted (without a pencil, yay me!!) in my handmade journal of Arches cold pressed paper. These colors are sweet together. Play around with piemontite or lunar red rock, phthalo turquoise, and quin gold. Really fun.

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Urban sketching in my neighborhood, part 2

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My house, this time.

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I’m really proud of myself for not using a pencil at all on these!

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(The brick wall curves around.)

A closer view, from March 31st.

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