Cottage Painting Progress

I'm nearly done! Just a few more details and I'll be able to sign it, mat it and deliver it to my client.
This piece is feeling very good. I'm happy with the "sparkle" it seems to have and I've been able to keep the scene looking sunny. I want to add more glazes to the water to add some depth and texture. The water should be darker than what it is reflecting, so I have lots of room to glaze and play. Painting the sun spattering onto the lower parts of the trees was lots of fun.

I'll try to post the finished piece soon.

Commissioned Cottage Painting

Recently I received a request to create a painting of a little cottage in Michigan. Since I have been experimenting with new techniques most of the summer, going back to my old method of painting holds a certain comfort for me. I am enjoying the tried and true techniques which have given me such nice results for so many years.

I am using photos from the client as references. She took wonderful photos, which really helps in creating a painting of a place that I am unable to visit in person. She took views from several angles and lots of detail photos so that I understand what each of the garden objects look like. The photos were also taken in bright sunlight which shows the nice shadows and helps to define the depth and dimensions of the subject.

Here I have lightly sketched the subject directly onto my watercolor paper. This should be a very fun piece to produce!

Cactus Flower Lesson 7

To develop the shadows even further, I have used a very wet puddle of VanDyke Brown and applied it to a few areas where I want darker or more striking shadows.

One theory I like to use for shadows is that if I glaze a relative opposite of the local color, the colors will visually blend (not physically blend) to create a darker value. For instance, if I want the dark green shadows to be very dark in value, just adding green will only make the paint thicker, it won't add to the darkness of the value. By adding a relative opposite, like a red or warm brown, I can add to the value, then glaze over it with the local color (green in this case) and the green becomes what the viewer sees, but the warm tones add darkness to the value. Hope this makes sense.

Think of it this way: relative opposites on the color wheel, like red and green, when physically mixed will make a neutral, dark gray. If I glaze these colors they will still VISUALLY make a dark, more neutral color, but they will retain some of their more pure color characteristics. Try it on some scrap watercolor paper. Glaze a red, allow it to dry, then glaze a green. The green will still look green, only darker!

Cactus Flower Lesson 1

Okay, I must apologize for those of you who have been waiting patiently for a new lesson! It has been very busy with the holidays, guests, events at the Art and Antiques Studio and preparing for new classes coming in January. No more excuses! Here is the beginning of the new lesson!

You can follow along with this lesson each day, and if you like, you can visit my etsy shop and purchase ($5) the drawing and reference photo. I will email the references to you and then you can paint along!

First of all, the drawing must be traced onto the watercolor paper. I like to use a Chunky Graphite Stick from Cheapjoes.com. I scrub a healthy amount of graphite on the back of my drawing, wipe it a little with paper toweling, and then tape one edge of the drawing to my watercolor paper. Trace from the right side of the drawing. Don't press hard or you will leave indentations on your paper and the pigments will puddle into these grooves and cause unsightly marks.

Now, tape your watercolor paper onto a foam core board or gator board that is at least an inch or two larger all the way around. I like to use two-inch Scotch masking tape that is beige. The wide tape allows for good coverage both on the paper (at least one-half inch of tape should cover the edges of your paper) and on the board. Good taping will result in a nice, finished painting that dry very flat. The taped edge also provides a nice gripping area when working with large wet washes.

Boat On River Lesson 11

Today I am using a small bit of Permanent Sap Green and Burnt Sienna mixed to create an olive green. You can add some New Gamboge if you want it to be a little more golden. I use a wet, but strong mixture to paint the stripes on the right side of the boat. Then, I added some water and painted a wetter version of the same mixture on the left side. It needs to be wetter and lighter because it is not in shadow.

A bit of French Ultramarine Blue was used in the little bumper at the corner of the dock to create a soft shadow. I also used a touch of Burnt Sienna with a number six round brush that has a nice point, and run a very light, very thin stroke of pigment here and there on the right sides of the mast and ropes that go up through the tree line.

Scooter and Riley Lesson 1

A new day, a new lesson.

I met Scooter and Riley while visiting a client for a commission painting of a home in Vero Beach, Florida. These characters were too cute not to paint! Here is the drawing I developed from several photos I took of Scooter and Riley. I drew this in my spiral bound sketchbook.

To develop the painting, I scanned the drawing into my computer and printed out tiled pages enlarged to the size I wanted for this piece, which will be a half sheet of watercolor paper, about 14 by 22 inches. As I worked on the drawing I thought about how I might develop the values, shadows and details of the piece in watercolor. The drawing process is so valuable. I hope that all watercolor enthusiasts will take a drawing class to develop their skill. It is important to do the drawing and preliminary work before you paint. Somehow this preliminary work gets information into your brain and helps you to solve problems before you ever touch your watercolors!
If you would like to paint along with my blog lessons, you can get the photo references and drawings sent to you by visiting my etsy shop, clicking on the Online Lesson icon, and pay a small fee of $5.00. I will then email all the references to you.

Lemons Lesson Number 10

I wanted to warm up the lemons, so I used a wet mixture of Burnt Sienna and a touch of VanDyke Brown to add to the shadow areas.

I continued on with this color to develop more of the darker values in the glass bowl. On the right side of the top part of the bowl I added a pretty strong value of the background mixture because at this part of the bowl the background shows through the glass.

I also glazed some New Gamboge, very wet, on the lighter areas of the lemons.

Lemons Lesson Number 5

Here I used some of the background mixture and added some VanDyke Brown.

I put this shadow under the plate in a very wet mixture. While it was still damp, not completely dry, but wet enough to allow the edges of the paint to soften, I added some Perylene Green to the closest area under the plate.

This is where the shadow is the deepest and darkest in value because it is the most hidden from the light source. Just a touch goes a long way. I want to keep the majority of the shadow in the brown tones.

Here you can see I have added some of these colors to the plate and bowl as these will be reflecting onto the clear and white shiny surfaces.

Arches Study - Student's Work

Just for fun, I wanted to share some
of the student's pieces from the last
project of the Arches Painting.
I think they are really lovely!

Nice job, ladies!

New Painting - Flamingo Nap

Flamingo Nap is a piece that just happened while I was playing with my paints about a week ago. My daughter and my best friend came to visit a few weeks back and we visited the Brevard County Zoo. They have some beautiful flamingos there and I took several photos of them napping at the edge of a pond.
As I was going through my photos, this one captured my eye and I started sketching with my watercolor pencils. After drawing the initial bird and some reflections with the watercolor pencils, I got out my palette and played with it some more. I am in the process of framing it, so it should be at one of my upcoming shows or at the Art and Antiques Gallery soon.

Hibiscus Lesson Number 12

I wasn't completely happy yet. The background looked too cool for the backdrop to this pink hibiscus. I decided to add an over all glaze of Aureolin Yellow to the entire background.

The glaze was 90 percent water and 10 percent pigment, meaning very, very faint and wet. This subtle glaze was just what I needed. The glaze warmed up the background and unified it. It is amazing what one wash can do to tie a painting together.


The final painting. Hope you enjoyed this one!
Visit back soon, and your comments are welcome!

To see the entire process, please visit the previous posts.

Hibiscus Lesson Number 9

Here I have glazed the flower with Quinicridone Magenta, being sure to keep a lot of the whites. This wash was applied with a very weak stain. I didn't want to make the flower darker, I just wanted to warm up the tones so they weren't so orange, but rather more pink.

Various washes of Burnt Sienna and VanDyke Brown were used over the blue areas in dark background. I tried to use them in dark and light applications, with lots of water, to keep the edges soft.

I also applied more French Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green and Hooker's Green in details of leaves to increase the texture of some, and to catch others up in detail.

Hibiscus Lesson Number 4

Continuing on with the Hibiscus Lesson that I have been posting. Now I have mixed a puddle of Quinicridone Magenta and Ultramarine Violet.

I used varying mixtures of these two colors back and forth and I used my Number 10 Round brush to paint in the first wash of the flower head.



The wetter, more magenta washes were used to create the softer, higher value tones. The more violet mixture was used to create the shadowed areas.



To develop the darker detailed areas, I added some French Ultramarine blue. I held my brush straight up and down and barely touched the tip of the brush to the paper, so that as I pulled the pigment along, it would create lovely, delicate linework.

Palm Tree on Indian River Lesson 3

Now that the masking is dry, I can add big sloppy, wet washes to my painting and keep those delicate areas white. I did use some water over the bulk of the tree to create soft edges when I apply the washes for the sky.
I used French Ultramarine Blue, and a touch of Ultramarine Violet for the sky wash. I applied the paint very wet. Once I was happy with the color and value of the sky, I used a paper towel to gently lift some little clouds. This must be done while the wash is still very wet. I crumbled the paper towel to create oval and round shapes for lifting. The harder I press the more pigment was lifted. Then, I wrapped a little bit of toweling around my finger and gently touched the edges of the clouds to create uneven edges around the outer areas of the clouds. Some blue remained inside the clouds and I will use those areas later to create subtle shadows in the forms.

Next, I used French Ultramarine Blue and Antwerp Blue to add the first glaze or wash to the water area. In order to make the water look like it is receding into the background, and that it is relatively flat, the value (lightness and darkness) must be varied from front to back. Allow to dry or dry with a hair dryer.
If you would like to follow along with this lesson, please visit my etsy shop and purchase the reference materials by clicking on the Online Class icon. The cost for the drawing and reference photo is only $5.00. Click here for my etsy shop: http://watercolorgirl.etsy.com.

Splash Watercolor Show Brevard Watercolor Society

Yesterday, Saturday, I painted a demonstration painting at the Brevard County Watercolor Society Show. The project was called "Five for Five" as there were five artists who each painted five objects. We took photos earlier and each set up our own paintings of the five objects independently of one another.

After taking nearly 100 digital photos last week. I decided to compose my painting to focus on the lovely shadows that appeared due to the fact that I took the photos outside in the bright afternoon sunlight. Before coming to the show, I added some masking tape and masking fluid so that I could flood color onto the painting more quickly without having to paint around the little bits of light that I wanted to save. You will see a hint of the yellow masking around the square container and the bits of light within the shadow it casts.

As I often do, I began the painting by laying in a foundation of
shadows in French Ultramarine Blue and a bit of Prussian Blue.



Next I began to add some yellows to the areas that will eventually become the copper pot, candle stick and the green leaves.



Now I have added some Quinicridone Magenta and some Burnt Sienna to the leaf tips and to the brass objects. I also added some Quinicridone Gold to the brass areas and to the small clay pitcher near the center of the painting.




Next, I have gone back with some darker blues to enhance shadow areas. I have also used Burnt Sienna and VanDyke Brown to warm up the brass pots and to deepen the warmer area values.








I used a physical mixture of VanDyke Brown and Perylene Maroon to warm up the shadow areas and to deepen the values. Since we had only two and a half hours to work on these pieces, plus people were watching us paint, which means I was having conversations with folks and painting at the same time...
Anyway, I did not complete the piece as I would have liked, but this is the end result.

This was such a fun event. If you would like to learn more about the Brevard Watercolor Society please visit their website: http://www.brevardwatercolors.org/