In the post prior to this, Country Road, I mentioned that a painting had been sitting on my easel for months. This is that painting. I find myself struggling at times with values, edges, and negative painting. I am also a major sufferer of overworking syndrome. I am guilty of all of these things, both with the struggles and overworking in this piece. However, it … Continue reading Lily of the Valley III
A few weeks ago, I decided to sit down and finish one painting that had been occupying my easel for months and move on to other pieces, if I could. This is one of those new pieces that I found took no more than an hour to paint. It is about 5 inches x 10 inches and results from a scrap cut-off from a quarter … Continue reading Country Road
This is one I really enjoyed planning, drawing and painting. A bit more ethereal with the colors and quite happy with the result. It all started with my notebook of inspiration, where I add clippings from magazines and newspapers to help get those creative juices flowing. I just liked the background and wanted to do something like an older work of mine, Moonglow Sheep. I … Continue reading Pampas Alpaca
There are many things that I don’t know how to do in painting. Progress is a slow beast, but it is steady and will get you as far as you want to go. It just takes a little nurturing. One source that I have recently found on Youtube is a series of watercolor demos/exercises in real time by accomplished fine artist Laurel Hart. She seems … Continue reading Lessons from an Artist: Laurel Hart
I have been steadily watching and learning and growing many different aspects of skill and general enjoyment in making various doodles, scribbles, and the occasional painting that helps me to recharge, reset, and just detoxify from all of the caustic aspects of life that tend to make me go a bit sour. It is a whole movement that always has been, I believe, but is … Continue reading Getting to the Source: Liron Yanconsky
I have spent the last few months trying to develop a better hand-eye-mind coordination to better transfer what I think things should look like to paper. The best example of this is on paper and here as excerpts from my sketchbook through time. I have been better with more regular practice, even when I was busy, as any good painting must start with good composition … Continue reading Sketching Habits
I am planning on some larger pieces that will be in future posts. I really want to experiment a bit with layering of different colors, and lost and found edges. Maybe another combination of India ink and watercolor. Or watercolor and pastel. Or Ink and wash. The list goes on. Barebones, here are two sketches that I like as painting ideas. Soon I will transfer … Continue reading Coming Up
Here are a few sketches I have been working on in various sketchbooks. I want to try different things and try different media in practicing value and composition of shapes, as well as achieving interesting shapes. This is an experiment in using contrast to enliven a topic. This goldfish was really fun to draw, and something that will turn into a painting in the future … Continue reading Some more sketching
Today is something of an interesting exercise, one that one of my favorite artists employs regularly during her sketching exercises (Brenda Swenson – really talented and diligent – check her out)(no, she doesn’t know who I am, and I receive nothing from this blatant endorsement). The single line doodle. Placing a pencil to paper and drawing something without ever lifting the tip from the surface. … Continue reading Single Line Sketching
This past weekend, I was traveling with my family and did not bring my palette along. I wanted to sketch more and learn how to render what I see differently using a method I will cover later. However, there was a set of soft pastels laying on the bookcase for a while, I had a little time and a fresh cuppa tea. We all know … Continue reading Trying Something New
Square One Watercolor 