Category: Painting

Color Chords

Ink drawing with watercolor in Canson 7×10 watercolor sketchbook
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I left the workshop to go sketch outside behind the classroom, sitting on a little brick wall along a road with trucks and taxis constantly parading past. This dry fountain was going to be torn down soon as it’s in one of the ubiquitous construction areas.

(More from my workshop with Judy Morris in Puerto Vallarta last week).

COLOR CHORDS:

This is important to me because I can get so involved in rendering exactly what I see that I forget to take artistic license to create a more pleasing color scheme rather than painting whatever colors are present. A color chord is like a chord in music–a selection of color notes that harmonize or are exciting together.

Most paintings accepted into the American Watercolor Society annual show have a limited palette
Avoid too many colors or abrasive color combinations by making a “color chord” plan before painting
Use a LIMITED PALETTE with any combination of the 3 primaries (a yellow including yellow ochre, a red and a blue); a complementary color scheme (2 colors opposite each other on the color wheel) or an analagous color scheme (neighboring colors on the color wheel); or· 1 color and sepia OR
Use a BORROWED COLOR SCHEME: Collect samples of from good photos, postcards, or other paintings color schemes you like and keep them in a folder. Select a color scheme from these samples to select a color chord for your painting.

Tags Pen and Ink, Plein Air, Puerto Vallarta

Art theory Other Art Blogs I Read People Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Focus!

Ink and watercolor in Canson 7×10 Watercolor Sketchbook
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I liked the Canson paper, it’s strong and very forgiving and heavily surface-sized — better than the Moleskine notebook — but not too thrilled with the colors I used in the sketch above in trying to use at least something the teacher suggested.

Breakfast View – Ink and watercolor in small watercolor Moleskine
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Breakfast at the workshop was at the open air buffet restaurant in our hotel, right on the beach, which was a lovely way to start the day, even if it was only half an hour after sunrise.

While I was drawing this a waiter came over to watch. I asked if he painted and he said he loved to draw but was unable to buy decent paint locally and mail order was impossible because Mexico charges 3 times the cost of the supplies in tariffs. He told me he draws pictures and then his 4 year old son colors them with crayons. He looked so admiringly at my little painting kit, amazed at what could be had in the U.S. I asked the class if they’d be willing to donate some paints for him and the teacher gave me her entire palette full of paint and three brushes. Other students gave watercolor paper and blocks. He was so grateful and everyone was really happy to have been able to help a fellow aspiring artist. I still feel happy remembering his sweet smile.

Tonight I spent the evening tonight typing up my pages of notes from the workshop. Here is one of most important thing I learned, which should be obvious but never really clicked for me before:

FOCAL POINT

I am often entranced by all the details in a subject and my paintings can suffer from lack of focal point or strong values. Forcing myself to chose a focal point BEFORE starting a sketch or painting and concentrating on values in that area at least, is going to make a huge difference in my approach and to the success of the painting.

A juror or curator for a show looks at each slide no more than 3 seconds and MUST BE ABLE TO SEE THE FOCAL POINT IMMEDIATELY. There should be the most contrast in that area (dark/light contrast or strong color contrast).
Before starting a drawing or painting, think about what interests you and attracts you to the subject and determine the focal point.
Put a painting in progress on the mantle and walk by it in the evening as the room gets dark to see if the focus is apparent
Hold the painting up to a mirror 10 feet away to look for problems with the drawing or painting, especially in portraits
Get the values right: Make a “Claude” mirror by spray-painting black the back of a sheet of plexiglass. It will reflect the image in values with the color neutralized. Or view the painting through red or gray film to show values without color.
She recommends as the best book on design in painting: “Probing the Hidden Order” by Marie McDonald Roberts.
Best spot in a painting for focal point is above horizon to the right because we read from right and up (this is the same spot as the “Divine Proportion” or “Golden Mean.”
To study focal points, very quickly go through a magazine putting red dots on the first thing you notice, then go back and study why your eyes went there. Usually contrast in value or color.

Next time I’ll post what I learned about Color Chords.

Tags Pen and Ink, People

Life in general Plein Air Watercolor

Hasta la vista

I’m off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week of painting, swimming, reading and siestas. I’ll be joining Judy Morris for her watercolor workshops from 9-2 in our courtyard patio “studio” and on plein air painting trips around the area. The trip is sponsored by Flying Colors Art Workshops.

The picture above is my new watercolor easel recommended by Judy. Here’s what she said about it:

“Some of you may be interested in the PERFECT plein air easel. I have one! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Look at Valpod Artist Easel website to see it. Norm Kramer in Idaho makes them (Valpod Artist Easels – Telephone: 208-522-8677 in Idaho). I prefer the #U8000 model. I take the tripod, shelf, plastic cups that are provided, and the small (1/4 sheet size) board. Fits in my suitcase perfectly!”

I’ll let you know how I liked it. I normally use a Winsor Newton Bristol watercolor portable easel and make a shelf by clipping a flat old palette on top of my old lady shopping cart that I drag my plein air supplies around in. I can’t bring that cart with me so will have to carry everything, which I’m not thrilled about. I may just use my watercolor sketchbook when we go off site. I’m bringing a Canson Montval Field Watercolor notebook (140 pound watercolor paper 7×10″), small Moleskine watercolor notebook and sketchbook in my backpack on the plane, and maybe a few others, depending on room.

Well, it’s already 9:30 PM and I haven’t finished packing yet and I’m leaving in the AM so I better say Adios now.

I’ll be back next weekend.

Tags Plein Air

Life in general Watercolor

Getting ready for Mexico

I’m getting ready for my painting trip to Mexico with lists of things to take care of before I leave on Saturday morning. I’m trying something new–starting to relax a little before vacation instead of pushing up until the last minute, which has always meant starting a holiday with a migraine.

Tonight my painting time is being used to prepare my palette for the trip so no art, but here’s a picture of my plein air/travel palette which I’ll be packing in my suitcase. The piece of painted watercolor paper beside it serves to remind me which colors are which and also serves as blotter paper in case the paints drip. It fits inside over the top of the paint. I use this palette regularly for plein air painting when I’m setting up an easel.

9 x 11″ Holbein palette that folds to 9×5.5″

This is the cheapie palette I’m going to take on the plane with me so I won’t be upset if it gets thrown away (thanks to Belinda Del Pesco for the idea of taking a cheapie onboard in case security puts it in the bin with the other dangerous items, like toothpaste and hand lotion.) I bought this to try it out for about $4.00 and didn’t like it much but it’s handy as a loaner for students.

8×8 cheapie palette, folds to 8×4″

While I’m at it, I thought I’d throw in pics of my other palettes that I use on a regular basis. This is my standard studio palette. It has a lid to keep the cat hair (and cat paws) out and I like it a lot. I have all of the paint names and pigment numbers marked around the outside edge.

15″ x 11″ Robert Wood studio palette

And here are two little palettes. The one on the left is an ancient Holbein palette with some of the original paints and some that I’ve refilled with new colors. I keep it in my backpack along with my little sketchbook for times when I’m not planning ahead to paint but want something small and flat to carry along just in case. It sat on my desk at work for a long time, begging to get used but only did once. I keep the Winsor & Newton on the right in my little grab-and-go kit that I use when I’m planning to paint in a cafe, at the farmer’s market or in my car — somewhere I wouldn’t use an easel. It’s very handy and portable, since it has a little water container (that dark thing at the top) as part of the kit. They both have little finger loops on the back so that you can hold them comfortably and mini brushes, though I use Niji waterbrushes for painting with them since they have handy tops to protect the brushes.

Schmincke folds to 3×5″ and Winsor Newton folds to 2.5″ x 4″ but it’s chunkier.

Flower Art Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Potato Vine for Anne Dowden

Post author By Jana Bouc
Post date January 27, 2007
10 Comments on Potato Vine for Anne Dowden

Drawn in ink and watercolor from “live specimen” (picked from my tree)
Solanum wendlandii AKA Potato vine or Divorce Vine

I LOVE THIS QUOTE: “Hers was a life of friendship by correspondence.” (Said about botanical artist and author, Anne Ophilia Todd Dowden, who died recently at 99. “She never worked from photos, only live specimens. When certain things were in bloom you didn’t see her. She knew a lot of people but she wasn’t that social. Hers was a life of friendship by correspondence,” said her friend, Lotte Blaustein.

I can relate. I treasure my friends and family but see them infrequently, instead staying in touch by e-mail or phone calls — a friendship of correspondence. The quote makes it sound elegant instead of something one should apologize for (as I’m always doing). The people in my life understand my need for solitude and are supportive of my passion to paint, but I wonder if I’m doing them and myself a disservice.

What do you think? Do you feel torn between preserving time for your art and others’ desire to have your company and attention? Or do you thrive in the company of others and it feeds your art?

P.S. Do you like this new blog template better than the previous one? I thought the type was easier to read on this one and it’s simpler without the blue on each side.

Tags Pen and Ink

Every Day Matters Life in general Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Pilates Reformer – EDM 103 (again)

Post author By Jana Bouc
Post date January 23, 2007
13 Comments on Pilates Reformer – EDM 103 (again)

Ink & watercolor in Aquabee 6×9 Sketchbook

This week’s Everyday Matters challenge is to draw your exercise equipment so yesterday and today that’s what I’ve done. I drew it directly with a pen which is why it’s not proportioned properly but I told myself to just be playful and draw for fun which I did.

This is my Pilates reformer plus various associated exercise gear in my exercise room. I have lots of exercise equipment and I used to use it faithfully for at least an hour every day until I started blogging. Since then my exercise time seems to have transformed itself into blogging time just as my muscles seem to be transforming into blogging blubber.

At least if I was doing an art/walking or art/bicycling blog like two of my very favorite art bloggers, Julie and Alison, I’d be doing art and getting fit at the same time. I think the only solution is to go to bed earlier so I can get up in time to do an hour of exercise again before work. So I’ll end this here and get to bed so tomorrow I can get up early and workout.

Tags Pen and Ink

Acrylic Painting Flower Art Sketchbook Pages Still Life

Scruffy Roses – Scruffy Day

Post author By Jana Bouc
Post date January 21, 2007
9 Comments on Scruffy Roses – Scruffy Day

Acrylic on mat board, 7 x 12″
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Graphite in Aquabee sketchbook, 6×9″
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I had a hard time getting started in the studio today. I’ve been studying and reading many books on technique: oil, acrylic, monoprint, drawing…and I’m at the point of too much information and not enough practice. It’s like learning how to drive by reading books, without actually doing any driving — you might know lots of techniques and rules, but are terrified at the idea of getting behind the wheel and driving off. I started feeling paralyzed, unable to decide which medium I wanted to explore, what subject I wanted to paint, and after looking at all the fine work in the museum Friday and my books and on others blogs, was beginning to get that awful, “why bother, it’s all been done before and much better than I could ever do” sort of feeling. I also had a headache and had some annoying errands to do.

I did some organizing in the studio and then gave up and went out to do the errands and then it was dinnertime and still no painting. After dinner I finally got to my drawing table and just started sketching this scruffy, battered winter rose from my bush that still hasn’t been pruned. Then I scanned it, printed out the drawing a little bigger, and using Saral transfer paper (like carbon paper but waxless), transfered the drawing to a piece of matboard and then painted it with acrylics. I know I would have done a better job with watercolor, but it was fun experimenting and learning how to “drive” the acrylics by taking them on a little jog around the block.

Tags Acrylic Painting

Every Day Matters Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Maidenform

Watercolor in large Moleskine watercolor notebook
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Well, I don’t know what could be more ordinary and every day than an undergarment or more odd than publishing my underwear on the internet… but I was so tired today after a really busy day yesterday that I couldn’t muster the energy to look further than my laundry basket for a subject to sketch. I asked Michael if he could tell what it was a picture of and he guessed “Um….Onions?” Oh well…I know it’s not great but it felt good to spend a little time at my drawing table and get something posted after a couple days away from the computer.

Alison’s wonderful sister is visiting San Francisco from Australia and I had the pleasure of spending the day with her yesterday. I picked her up at her hotel in North Beach (not a beach–it’s the “Old Italy” part of San Francisco, former home of the Beat poets), spent a few hours at the new DeYoung Art Museum in Golden Gate Park, then drove out to Ocean Beach where we took a stroll on the beach. The weather was lovely, much nicer than the last time I was there last summer when it was foggy, windy and cold. Then we headed back to North Beach where we spent an hour browsing in the City Lights Book Store. I bought two good books to bring with me to Mexico in two weeks. When we got hungry we walked to nearby Chinatown for a delicious dinner, then back to North Beach to say good-bye.

After all the driving yesterday, including getting quite lost a couple times thanks to really bad directions from MapQuest which I vow I will never use again, today was about staying home and taking it easy.

Every Day Matters Life in general Sketchbook Pages Still Life Watercolor

More Soap (EDM #101)

Watercolor & Ink in Moleskine watercolor notebook 6×9″
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I keep my dish soap in this squirt bottle originally meant to mix and apply hair dye. The glass plate is on loan from my sister. When I saw it at her house I begged to borrow it to paint it. I wanted to include it in yesterday’s soap picture.

I was supposed to be doing other stuff tonight but was getting really grumpy not being able to draw or paint so after helping my son with his resume, I abandoned the art business stuff I “should” have been doing. I drew this quickly with ink (hence the goofy edges and lines) and then added watercolor, thoroughly enjoying myself for the first time all day. Well, that’s not true. We did have some fun at work at lunch today, talking about our favorite “guilty pleasure” tv shows, but the rest of the day was just work, work, work.

To end this post on a happier note than the above whining, I’ll mention two things I’m grateful for.

1. I didn’t have a headache or a backache today and I noticed that several times during the day, making me feel grateful each time.

2. Yesterday I realized that even though I get frustrated with my lack of skill when painting with oils and acrylics and want to be good at it NOW, in a year, if I keep practicing and studying, I’ll probably feel pretty comfortable with them and maybe even competent. Or maybe I’ll realize I need another year of practice and I’ll take it. Same with drawing…if I keep at it, in a year, I’ll be a lot better at it than I am now.

Simple stuff, but it makes me happy.

Tags Pen and Ink

Acrylic Painting Every Day Matters Sketchbook Pages Still Life Watercolor

Soap: EDM #101

Acrylic in HandBook Journal 5.5 x 5.5″
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The week’s Everyday Matters challenge is to draw a bar of soap. My original idea was to line up all the different soaps in my house, from dish soap to laundry soap to bath soap and make a grid and paint them all. But by the time I did all the errands I’d been putting off, time was short. Also, I wanted to play with the fluid acrylics I’d bought last weekend and hadn’t tried yet. So I settled on one soap, one bowl and tried painting with the acrylics as if they were watercolors.

It was fun and interesting. One thing I learned is that acrylic is basically a glue and if you get any kind of crud or cat hair on the paper it will become permanently glued in place. Also you can’t erase pencil after you’ve painted with acrylic. It’s ridiculous how fast the stuff dries. I guess you have to develop a second sense about spritzing the palette all the time.

I’m ready for some big, juicy, free painting next. After all the lettering and detail in the watercolor I finished and posted yesterday I’m tired of tiny, tight painting. It’s back to work tomorrow but hopefully this weekend I can go a bit wild with paint and loosen up.

Tags Acrylic Painting