As usual, I like to test drive new tools...here, my new set of Utrecht Deluxe Watercolor Brushes...
It was an incredible buy, a set of four brushes on sale for $14.99 at our local Utrecht store...
I had never even OWNED a #14 brush before...wow...this one carries a ton of water, goes forever, holds a lovely point...what a deal! I just ran out of room on the page or I could have done much more with these...obviously, they're very versatile.
Had to see how far it would go on a single loading...this is a 9 x 12" Strathmore Visual Journal. Wow...
I liked the brushes so much that I went back and got my brother-in-law a set!
Just wanted to let you know I've reorganized the blog a little, removed the bookshelf from the sidebar at right and added a brand new page--well, THREE of them, actually, so far--of books I think you'll find useful. You'll find it at the top of the page, or click this link: http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/p/books-we-like.html
Yep, there are some of mine (though not all those pictured above) but a LOT more from people whose work I love and have learned from. (What can I say, that was the quickest photo I could find that had a lot of books! :-D )
You'll find artists, journalers, watercolorists, travel journals, calligraphy, how-to and much more.
There's an arrow at the bottom of these links to let you know there's more to come, and I set them to shuffle, so you don't see the same thing all the time, when you open the page. (If you don't see a favorite, look on page 2 or 3--or whatever!)
I'll be adding to these as I go along...if you have particular favorites, please let me know and I'll check them out!
Pental Pocketbrushes are fun, and can be used in a variety of ways, depending on how much time you have and how much control. The one above was very fast, the jalopy was when I had a lot of time...
And yes of course I was inspired by Roz's post the other day!
The Starbucks people were fast, too...but nice and bold! Given their black ink, they're not really the tool to use for delicacy or subtlety, but they ARE great for quick sketches.
Use it alone, or combine with other mediums...watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, you name it. The one of my cats, above, has a Japanese feel to it, to me...
I've also used a Kuretake brush pen, but it seems a bit more temperamental...
And I like my Noodler's Konrad piston fill brush pen, which you can fill with the ink of your choice, but it's out of stock--I believe Noodler's is redesigning it. I hope they do, I'd recommend it!
People often ask me about what size brushes to get for a class...and I have to admit it's wildly relative, if you're talking round brushes! I just suggest getting the biggest you can comfortably work with, for the large size...you can move a lot more paint without having to reload, and it will help avoid niggly work and hard edges where you don't want them.
Manmade brushes are very much improved...I haven't had a sable in YEARS. The best of them hold lots of water and a good point...and no worries about breaking the bank or losing your brush!
This shows the largest waterbrush, on the right...and as you can see, it's not very large. That's a #6 next to it.
But look...here are a couple of #6 brushes! One's Loew-Cornell stain brush an the one below is a Princeton. Hmmmm...
And here are two #8 brushes...with a #6, all of the SAME BRAND...
I really like Loew-Cornell brushes, by the way...their Ultra type is wonderful!
And here's a Grumbacher #12 with a Loew-Cornell #8. Doesn't appear to be a lot of logic here, does there...
Happily, most flat brushes are sold by width. You can get a 1/2", a 3/4", a 1" or larger and you know pretty much what size it's going to be...it may be longer or shorter, it may have a better edge, but at least you know it's probably going to be a 3/4" if it says so!
I usually end up doing several composite pages when I travel...it seems to squeeze more of the experience into my journal.
I usually try to do one as we're leaving, at hour home airport...my fellow passengers, the tower, whatever...
This is the view from our hotel...you can't see the pencil sketch at upper left, in this photo...
This place has a nice big heat/AC unit below the window--it makes a great studio tabouret!
As the days passed, I added Joseph at the computer (his morning habit) and the cat sleeping on someone's car in the parking lot.
Another kind of composite involves doing many views of the same subject...in this case sketches of my father-in-law's rescue beagle...
But you can combine anything you want! Maggie was lazing in the shade near the fence, so I sketched her and the top of the neighbor's house. (Good thing they have this nice thick masonry wall, beagles are DIGGERS.
You can add anything you want to pages like this...business cards, notes, reminders, photos...but I always enjoy how they catch something of the days.
Hi all! I needed to do a demo for the class I'm giving--people kept asking about how I painted the windows in the old mill painting at top-- but I don't have time to make a video or figure out where to upload a PDF, so I'm going to aim them here!
...and by the way, I just painted around, carefully, here...
So first, I just sketched a normal double-hung window...
And then painted around the window and sill...
I added a little contrasting spatter for texture, using a small oil-painter's bristle brush and my finger. And yes, I always get it all over me!
Then I carefully added some of the shadows...I pushed the color a bit...
...and added the curtains.
Finally, I painted in the dark shadowy windows and added a suggestion of reflections when that was dry...but basically, just painted around, no mask, no scraping, no lifting.
However! You can do all of those things...there's no right or wrong way to paint windows. Observation is your best tool...there are so many different kinds of windows, you just need to pay attention to what you see, and experiment a little.
Here, I scraped through a damp wash with the end of an aquarelle brush to lift the lights...the one on the right, I just left spaces for the crossbars or mullions.
...and then went wild with a bunch of other techniques! My Crayon didn't work that well, so I tried a piece of candle wax--and ended up lifting the pigment off the crayon lines with a damp, clean brush and blotting away the extra color. (That's a bamboo pen applying liquid mask at lower right...easy to clean once the mask is dry.)
See what I mean? You can't really say how to paint windows, because there are literally dozens of different kinds...I did quick sketches of a few I found in an old book on English cottages...
So here are a few of the ideas to try on some simple windows...there are many, many more.
There are quite a few different approaches to windows in my Travel Sketch set on Flickr and a few more in my Urban Sketches set, as well as some duplicates.
Ready to try a nice Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window??
Me either!
And you're right, this isn't journaling, strictly speaking, except I did the demo in my Strathmore Visual Journal... :-D
...so once in a LONG while I forget my journal or don't want to go back out to the studio for it...thank goodness I've got my accordion folder in the Jeep!
The other day we talked about finding time to sketch...this is one way I do it, as noted, I keep supplies handy EVERYWHERE.
I didn't have much time to do the two quick parking-lot landscapes, but LOTS of time while J. shopped in the Home Depot the other day...I was very glad I had my folding journal in the car!
This is out by our library, where I often sketch while waiting...
Here's the lovely bright colors at Home Depot...
And on the way home, the parking lot at WalMart...J. parked so I had a better view!
Actually, I keep an accordion folder in both vehicles, one close to the computer, and sometimes one in the bedroom...I make them from scraps when I bind my journals!
I FINALLY got the video done, reshot, tweaked, edited and uploaded!
People often ask me about waterbrushes, and I think I've tried them all by now...hope this helps.
I also cover the difference between waterbrushes and "real" watercolor brushes, and when and why to chose one over the other. Unless you use a pointillist technique, a waterbrush isn't going to satisfy you for nice juicy washes of any size. I use mine when I'm traveling, working in my journal, pressed for space, needing to letter something...but never when I'm working 9 x 12 or larger!
This can be a tough challenge for a lot of us, especially if you work outside the home, have kids or other family responsibilities, or are traveling with non-artists! One thing I do is let myself just do a LITTLE bit, if that’s all I have time for. A quick sketch, with a bit of color. Even five minutes is better than nothing...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
Set a time that’s YOURS, and stick with it. Make an appointment with yourself. If you absolutely HAVE to break that appointment, don’t get upset, just reschedule, and then keep that one.
FIND A PAL and ENLIST THE FAMILY
If it helps, find someone to do art with...perhaps having more than one will help you find time, especially if you have a responsibility to them (and to yourself!)
Enlist your family’s help. Let them know this IS important to you! You’ll be a better spouse, parent, son, daughter, whatever, if you have time to express your creative side.
I always make use of waiting time to sketch...makes the time pass a lot faster, allows me time to be creative when I might not otherwise, and it helps keep me on an even keel!
USE BITS AND PIECES OF TIME
Sketch in time that’s otherwise wasted–waiting for a plane or your meal in a restaurant or the doctor’s office. You may not be able to get out the whole paint set, but you CAN do a sketch and paint it in later if you wish.
UNPLUG!
Turn off the TV, don’t text, don’t grab a newspaper or magazine or even a book in those moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed–sketch instead! (Thoreau once wrote “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” Our sketches may not be eternal, but you WILL be amazed at how much more time you have to be creative. If you need more encouragement, I’ll bet you find something that speaks to you here: http://www.quotegarden.com/carpe-diem.html
(People often ask me how I get so much done...that’s how! I turned off the TV in 1997, and only occasionally watch a video. I get our small local newspaper with real people news–I figure any serious news I need will show up on the computer...)
KEEP IT SIMPLE
If you know time’s at a premium, just try for pen, pencil, and perhaps a little watercolor kit and a waterbrush, if you’re working small. (If you’re working larger–9" x 12" or larger–you’ll want bigger brushes and a decent source of water.)
Make Like A Boy Scout and BE PREPARED
One thing I do that makes it easy to find creative time is keep art supplies handy, in a variety of places in my house, in my purse/field bag, and in my Jeep. I’ve even got a little set next to my bed, as well as one by the couch and one by my computer. That way if I find myself with a bit of time, I can pick up a little watercolor set, a pencil or pen or two, and go to it!
Note: One big advantage to buying tube paints and creating your own pan colors, which we discussed in this post, is that you can make LOTS of these little watercolor sets from only a few tubes, and keep them everywhere. You don’t have to fill the pans all the way up, I’ve got watercolor sets that have had the same paint in them for years–it all depends on how often you use them!
And as some people have said–if you REALLY want to find the time, you will.
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Finding time is one of the things on our poll in the right-hand sidebar--if you haven't voted for what you'd most like to see on this blog, please feel free!
I get asked about this, occasionally--and just recently on the free Strathmore class I'm teaching, so I thought I'd do a dual-duty post!
Some artists like to squeeze out fresh tube paints every time they work--I've always been sort of the frugal type, and prefer to re-wet my colors till they're all gone, whether in my studio--on my big beloved old John Pike Standard Palette!--or in my traveling watercolor boxes. I've re-wet paints that have been on that palette for 15 years, with no problem...
You can buy paint in pans, of course (though it's much easier to find half pans than full, no idea why) but it's a piece of cake to make your own. I love my old standby, Winsor & Newton.
It’s really easy to do, and have the colors you want in your paint box, as well as to refill them any time they get low...I believe it’s even a bit less expensive, too.
I was told by one company that their tube paints weren’t meant to be used this way, they weren’t formulated to re-wet as the commercial pan colors are, but I say “nonsense!” I’ve been doing it for 40 years...
DO spray or drip water on your pans of paint a bit before you're ready to work...it makes all the difference, as you can see below!
Click to find this illustration here to see what a different spritzing a minute or two before you're ready to paint can MAKE in how rich your colors are. I list all the color names there...
That said, some colors or brands DO re-wet more readily than others. Horadam Schmincke works well, as does Daniel Smith...but as I say, I’ve used Winsor & Newton for decades and they work beautifully for me. They're still my go-to brand for most colors.
(Lovely as M. Graham paints are, they tend NOT to set up well under some conditions, since they use honey as a binder. They may run or “drool” for you...)
So what's next...
If your palette box already has divisions, like the little one above, you just squeeze however much paint into each one that you want...fill them all the way, just put a dab, or fill halfway, it’s up to you. (If it’s a paint I use often, I tend to fill it up.)
You can also buy empty half or full pans, made of plastic. They’ll either fit directly into your palette divisions, as in some of the older style of metal watercolor boxes, or you can stick them down with rubber cement, so you can re-position them. Most palettes will allow you to use a combination of full and half pans, if you like...I use half pans for those colors I use less often, or that I want to experiment with before making permanent additions to my repertoire!
This is my ancient Winsor & Newton dinosaur, being rehabbed now to remove the rust! I've used it for decades, and it's traveled all over the country. You can see it will take full or half pans held in place by bent metal strips.
(The most difficult thing is figuring out how they’re listed on the site! “Empty full pans” sounds weird...)
I've learned it may work best to start in the corners first and then fill the middle...and be aware, the paint will shrink as it dries. You may wish to fill partway, let it set up, then finish filling to minimize cracking. (If your paint pops out of the plastic pan, just re-wet the back of the mound of paint and press it back into place, or use a dot of gum arabic as "glue.")
Allow the paints to set up for at least 24 hours to several days, so they won’t travel when you take them out in the field.. Then when you’re ready to paint, simply spray or drip clean water on the pans for easily-lifted, intense color, as in the illustration above.
* If you'd like, take a peek at my Flickr set of watercolor boxes and palettes. Lots of ideas here, including my favorite Prang box re-hab, above! (I've refilled those pans 3-4 times since I shot those photos, and both my Prang palettes now have a few half pans for incidentals. They've traveled clear across country with me. I think using the same old metal palettes I had when I was a kid frees up something in my soul!)
And if you'd like to see a video on making your own palette boxes, it's here:
Back when I first got started sharing my art online, there was just Yahoogroups,...and then Flickr, and my online classes...and then blogs, and Facebook...and it's a brand new world that's opened before us. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed, sometimes humbled, and always challenged.
I LOVE seeing art from all over the world, and getting to know people in Singapore, Tokyo, Brazil, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Egypt, India, England, Canada, Sweden, and more...
The other day I was re-reading Urban Sketching and thinking about the amazing people I've "met"--some in person, most through our art and words online. I'm not the hermit I once was...
Thank you all for the inspiration...and if you don't see your name here, I just ran out of time and space, and my brain finally melted! I know you're out there...
Hi all! You may remember we've discussed the Caran d'Ache opaque watercolors/gouache set in this post: http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/2011/07/gouache-again.html and did a comparison with other brands and types. It fared well, as you can read in the post and in the comments!
(If you want more gouache-inspiration, check out the labels in the sidebar at right...14 posts on gouache!)
I just had to try these, and quite honestly I think they're extremely nice...they re-wet well, they're smooth, they're nice and dense...but as some of you know, I'm needing to simplify my studio and my life, so I'm passing along some of my art supplies to people who actually WILL use them! (I'd originally thought to transfer the cakes to a smaller metal box, but I gave that one to my youngest godchild!)
The only problem with this set, for me, is that it IS very sturdy, and just too big and heavy for field work, given my arthritis, and I already have a palette of gouache I use at home. Sooooo...if you're interested, there's a great bargain on eBay right now! :-D
!--or in my traveling watercolor boxes. I've re-wet paints that have been on that palette for 15 years, with no problem...
, writing my own 
, I'm astounded at how my horizons have expanded in such a relatively short time.
