Continuing Watercolor (November & December 2014)

I started by wetting the background.  I left a small white area around the ornament so the color would not leak into the ornament. I dropped in cobalt blue and a mixture of cobalt and quinacridone rose and left some white.  I let this dry.  I came back and worked on the ornament dry.  I started in the darker area and pulled/guided the color out form the dark.  I used permanent alizarin and a little yellow.

I first showed you how you can wet and do each spot separately.  I then wet the area in which I was working (wet, but not supper wet) and dropped in color (burnt sienna and a tiny bit of van dyke brown) towards the middle of the spots.  It flowed outward.  I added a little van dyke brown in some areas.  I wet the mane and added stripes of color (sienna and van dyke brown).  I left the white highlighted area, but will probably add some light spots.  I also used a scrubber and lightened some of the areas around the spots.  I will work a bit on the form of the giraffe next as well as the face (we concentrated on mostly the pattern today).

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

I added cobalt to the hat and shirt to add shadows.  I also did a wash of cobalt to the background and softened the background texture.  I have a bit more value and detail work, but it's getting close.

At home I worked on the lower face at home to soften some of the blue dots.

I added dark values to the face and to the neck area (to the right of the hand).  I also added a wash to the hair in the front of the hand (the hand and the yellow background are a bit washed out in the photo, in person the hand is darker and the yellow is brighter).  This needs more work, especially on some of the spotty textures.

At home I added some dark washes on the right bottom side to define the petals.  It is what was needed for this flower.  I also added a bit of dark to the middle.

I added slightly darker washes to the background to define the petals.  I worked on the middle adding some texture and value.  I started to add some form and shadow to the petals (bottom left).

At home I added some washes to define the petals on the left side and some darks in the middle.

I added more washes to define the petals and some darks in the middle as well as lifted some highlights.  I started to add definition to the petals as well as shadows between the petals.

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

I worked a little on the necklace.  It needs more work overall.

I worked on this a lot.  The spots will need to be toned down and the values adjusted. 

I wet the paper and dropped in color trying to guide it to keep the whites.  I added salt (large and small salt).  After dry, I started adding a bit of texture to the middle and started putting in some shadows.

I wet the paper and dropped in the color.  I added salt (large and small salt).

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

I wet the background and added a dark.  The mixed dark is made mostly of colors that I have used in the painting already - cobalt, burnt sienna, alizarin, and indigo.  I will most likely add a glaze on top to soften the background patterns.  I will show you how to soften edges and 're-attach' the subject (it tends to look pasted on after adding a dark background).  I will need to finish adding details and values on the subject as well (which will also help to 're-attach' it).

I transferred the drawing onto the textured background.  I then started painting the subject paying attention to the subtle values.  Remember I worked on dry paper on the front of his face and pulled the value out with a damp brush.  On the back and top of his head I worked after wetting the paper.  

I removed the rubber cement.

I have started adding some values and colors to organize the chaos and to move the viewers eye around.  This one will work as an abstract I think.  It has a ways to go.

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

These chickens are examples of using rubber cement and watercolor to create interesting backgrounds and textures.

This was done background first.  I wet the paper (except her clothing) and dropped in strong color (green, yellow, red watercolor).  I superimposed the woman on top.  I painted her skin (paying attention to shadows) and the scrubbed and lifted the highlights.  The color underneath shines through.  She is of course not complete, but a good start.  The background is white gouache. 

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

An example of loose painting, very wet with salt.  Not finished, but a good start.

Continuing Watercolor (September & October 2014)

I worked on this a bit between classes.  I lifted and softened a few areas (water and a brush and paper towel).

I added some shadows and blue (cobalt) to the background.

I worked on this a bit between class.  I added red and indigo to the center.  Indigo only in the dark areas.  I used cobalt and a small brush to add lines for the stamen.  I added red dots for the ends of the stamen.  I darkened in between 2 petals (bottom left) and a little on the bottom right too.  I added a few more shadows to the petals.

I darkened around the petals and a little on the yellowish triangles between the petals.  I added a leaf and stem but it was too wet and is barely visible anymore.

I worked on her between class adding more darks and a few details in the value study stage.

I started to add color.  The skin is rose, aureolin yellow, and a tiny bit of cobalt.  The hair is a mixture of alizarin, burnt sienna, and indigo.  I painted it paying attention to shadows - notice the slight value shift from under the hat (darker) to the bottom and back of the hair (a bit lighter).  I painter the skin paying attention to slight value shifts and shadows..  I added cobalt to the hat as well as red to the ribbon on the hat.  I added red to the beads (to repeat the red in the hat).

This is the background for the gorilla.  I wet the paper and dropped in yellow and cobalt as well as indigo.  I let it flow and splattered, very fun.  I also added some salt.  I added splatters of red.  I was going to do plastic wrap but changed my mind.

This is a texture example.  I wet the paper, dropped in color, and laid down plastic wrap on the left side.  The 'bubbles' in the wrap make the light lines.  On the right side I laid down bubble wrap and placed something with some weight to hold it down. 

Texture painting with rubber cement.  I dribbled and brushed rubber cement onto dry paper.  Let it dry, wet the paper and dropped in color (yellow).  I let it dry and did another layer of rubber cement.  Let it dry and wet the paper adding more color (reds blues, yellows).  After this was dry I did another layer of rubber cement (this was the layer I demonstrated in class), let dry, and another layer of color.  Nest class I will remove the rubber cement.  This would work as a background for the gorilla as well.

Continuing Watercolor Sertoma (September/October 2014)(sorry for the green tint to these, I tried to color correct

I added more dark to the yolk with red and also some yellow.  I added yellow to the 'white' part and some burnt sienna to the shadows.  It needs more detail and value work, but is coming along.

I did glazing on the background - aureolin yellow with a second glaze of rose on the top left and rose on the bottom left.  I removed the masking from the middle parts and added a few more shadows on some petals.  It needs more work.  

Burnt sienna with a bot of rose and cobalt for the brown.  Then I did a value study, a bit light, as an under painting.  It is not complete yet.

Continuing Watercolor (September/October 2014)

I started with the yolk.  I 'moderately' wet the paper leaving a few small dry spots and dropped in a yellow mixture (perm. rose and aureolin as well as azo yellow when I ran out of aureolin).  I then added some red to the dark part of the yolk and some yellow to the light part at the top to create some value changes.  I let this dry.  I then moderately wet the egg white area and used gray to start adding shadows and details.  The gray was a mixture of perm. rose, aureolin yellow (thanks Mike) and cobalt.

First I used orange tinted masking fluid (thanks Maria) to put in the middle part of the flower.  After that was dry I wet the background area making the paper very wet.  I dropped in cobalt, indigo, aureolin yellow, and the greens these make mixed together.  BTW - the color change from top to bottom is more drastic in the photo than on the original.  I let the color move and flow together guiding it a bit.  I let this dry.  Then I put in the middle red part on dry paper.  I mixed the pwrm. rose with a little cobalt for the color.  I dropped in a bit of indigo to make a shadowed area.  Next I moderately wet the petals one by one using cobalt to make shadows.  I put a little of the red color at the base.  Next I mixed a yellow green with aureolin and a little cobalt.  I put this on the small parts between the petals and tipped those with rose.

BAL Class (August 2014)

Acrylic on canvas panel.  The cat looks a bit psycho and the red shows up too much in the photo (not in person).  But this had potential.  It needs more work of course, this is one that has not gone smoothly, it happens.

It is a bit improved.  I will continue to add the hair textures in white as it needs much more white.  I will continue to add details and adjust values.  The red shows up even more in the photo (no more was added).

Colored pencil on gray mat board.  This one needs a lot of work in the background (although some of the stuff you see is not actually on the original).   I have a bit more work with detail and value adjustments. 

Watercolor.  This is close to finished but needs a bit more detail work and value adjustments.  But it's close.

Acrylic on canvas panel.  I worked on the flower a bit, adjusting values.

I added more highlights and shadows as well as started adding leaves to the background.  

Colored pencil on gray paper.  This has a lot of work left.  I melted the background a bit behind the top part of the flower.  I started adding leaves.  Needs details, background, and values.

Watercolor.  I started organizing and darkening the background.

I have added some highlights to the flower )scrubbing in one section, white gouache on the other).  I have organized a few more leaf shapes.  I will do more of the same until it looks complete.

Acrylic on paper.  I finished the brown value painting on his shirt and added some color to make his skin on his face.

The photo is a bit too white.  I added more skin color, added red to his hat.  I added red to make a pattern on his shirt.  I added green to the background.  I will continue adjusting values and adding details.

Colored pencil.  I finished the brown value study.  I added red to his hat, color to his skin.  Ans started adding a bit of blue to his hair and shirt.  I will continue layering colors, adjusting values, and adding details as I go.

Watercolor.  I finished the brown value under painting.  

I added red to his hat, color to his skin, and blue to his shirt.  I will add details and continue adjusting values.

Scratchboard and Pen & Ink (August 2014)I

I did a bit more work on the neck before class

I did a bit more removal on the neck.  I then mixed some color (scratchboard ink magenta and yellow and water).  I added color to the neck ans beak.  It needs more highlights scratched out.  The color is uneven from head to neck due to a glare while taking the photo.

Pen and ink bee - I did a bit more ink before class.

I did a bit of work before class and during class on the flower areas especially.  LOTS more to do.

I did this before class.  Scratched out a petal, a highlight on the branch, and used the steel wool to add texture to the background.  I then colored the background with the ink (blue, green, yellow).  There is a glare upper right.

I demonstrated the background during class.  I scratched the background with steel wool and then colored it with ink (green blue, yellow).  There is a glare bottom left.

I did an ink wash and then some pointillism.  I wet and washed ink on the background.  After it was dry I added ink to the shadows on the flower and stem. I then used a micron pen to start adding details with pointillism.