Sertoma CW March and April, 2019

Added some more shadows and little details.  She just might be done!

NCBG ICP August, 2019

I worked on it more with the white colored pencil. We will add color and detail in the next class.

NCBG ICP August, 2019

I worked with colored pencil, no melting anymore, on the the red grapes on the top right side.  I used scarlet lake, crimson lake (pomegranate will work as well), black grape , and white.  I shaded the values on the grapes.  Next I shaved indigo into a lid and melted it and started painting it on the background.  I also showed painting on the other colors.  On the bottom right I shaded the indigo on the paper and then melted it.  Either way works.  I need to finish the indigo on the background and then start adding the colored pencil colors in the background over the indigo.  The indigo is an under painting/drawing to get a dark down first to make the subsequent colored pencil go quicker.

This is colored pencil on Art Spectrum Colourfix sanded pastel paper, black.  I transferred the drawing with white transfer paper and then used a white pencil to start laying in the values.  I used a stiff brush to blend the pencil and then used the white pencil to lightly fill in any spaces and the stik tak/poster putty to lift as needed.  I go over the areas i want smooth lightly filling and lifting to make it smooth.  We will add color over the values next class.

Sertoma CW March and April, 2019

I have worked on this quite a bit since class.  I am still adjusting values and temperatures a little and adding details here and there.  But it's close to complete.

Sertoma CW August and September 2019

I added a glaze to the ear to warm it up.  I mixed a very thinned orange brown color and painted it on the dry ear.  I started adding shadows with a mixed gray.  The gray was made from the same colors as the brown, I just leaned it toward blue.  I used warm red, warm yellow and green blue (for me that's Daniel Smith pyrrol scarlet, permanent yellow deep and phthao blue green shade).  I also added shadows to shape the nose and started working on the eye and collar.  I am working in layers from light to dark.

I started adding shadows to the branch to give it form.  I also demonstrated adding some darker areas to the background so highlights and a leaf show up (negative painting).  Remember  - wet the paper far beyond the areas where you will be adding any color to avoid hard lines on the edges.  I dampened the pears and added a light wash of green/  After that was dry I dampened the pear and added some red.  I added green and brown to the small leaf area working wet on dry and using a mostly dry brush to move the color.

NCBG ICP August 2019

Black and White side view with white paper behind it.  I have started adding color on the color side.  I will be making adjustments to this as needed while I work on the color side.  I will be lifting/erasing to lighten and using my dark color to darken.

Color side with white paper behind it.  On the flower petals I have used pale vermilion, canary yellow, yellow chartreuse, scarlet lake to shade the petals.  On the leaves I have used grass green, yellow chartreuse, scarlet lake.  I have lightly shaded scarlet lake and Spanish orange on the middle seed section and some indigo to darken it near the petals.  On the bird I have used grass green, dark brown, terra cotta, and indigo.

This is colored pencil and solvents on hot press watercolor paper.  There are two methods used here.  I shaded the color onto the grape and then use a brush and rubbing alcohol to melt the wax and blend the color. On the other method I shaved the pencil into a container (I use metal jar lids), add rubbing alcohol, and mix it into a puddle of color.  I then paint it onto the grape.  To lighten the color add more rubbing alcohol.

For the red grapes I used a combination of crimson red, scarlet lake, and pomegranate. In the shadows I added black grape.  For the purple grape I used the same 4 colors but added much more black grape to the mix.  For the green grape and stem I used grass green, dark green, yellow chartreuse and spanish orange.  I added little spots of scarlet lake into the stem and melted it.  I need to add a blush of red into the green grape still.  and I need to do the other green grape.

DAC CP & MM July and August, 2019

So this is very close to complete.  At the end of a piece I spend weeks looking at it and making any necessary changes.  I encourage you doing this with your own work.  Stepping back and taking a look during the process and especially at the end is very helpful.  Sometimes i put it away for awhile and get it back out for a new look.

I started layering the color over the white on her skin.  I used scarlet lake to warm it up since mine is very blue/green.  I used terra cotta as well and then peach to blend it.  I layered the colors fairly lightly.  I layered these colors all over her skin and into her head.  I used dark brown and indigo blue as well as terra cotta and scarlet lake in the shadow areas.  I used white and light peach to re lighten the lightest areas.  I will continue using the same colors in layers to get the skin where I want it to be.  Your piece has different colors so some of you will need to add slightly different ratios of the colors than I used or you may need to add a little blue or green to yours is some areas.

For the braids I used scarlet lake and terra cotaa and layered the colors on the strand of braid.  Then I took white and made alternating light spots down the braid.  I used indigo in between these dots to make the crease in the middle of the braid and partially around the white spots.  The I layered some spanish orange and red over the white spots to give it some color.

Each of you will have a different look to your piece.  You can decide what to do or leave out as you work.  Some of you have lovely pieces that do not need to be finished with "skin" colors.

Sertoma CW August and September, 2019

I transferred the drawing first.  Make sure your transfer will not erase with water.  Do this by running water over a small section to see if it stays.  If it does not stay use a pencil to solidify your lines (not too dark).  I wet the background and branches and leaves around the pears.  I made it pretty wet.  I dropped in a mixed green around the pears and flicked in some yellows and water to make texture.  You can use whatever colors you wish for the background.

After the painting was dry,  I demonstrated using a damp brush and a paper towel to clean up some of the edges on the pears..  Then I mixed two browns using 3 primaries and leaning them toward yellow and red.  For a warm brown I used warm red, warm yellow, and green blue.  For a cooler, darker brown I used cool red, warm and cool yellow, and green blue.  I wet the branches and painted  a section of the branch warm brown.  I dropped the cool dark brown into the dark areas.  I also dropped in the reds, yellows, and blue.  I did this in sections on the branch while it was still wet.  When it was still wet and shiny, but not puddled, I added salt.  I used a larger crystal sea salt.

The first two photos of the pears were taken with my phone in the classroom.  I did color some color correction on the computer.  

Photo taken at home in better lighting.

I transferred the drawing first.  Make sure your transfer will not erase with water.  Do this by running water over a small section to see if it stays.  If it does not stay use a pencil to solidify your lines (not too dark).  I wet the background, I made it very wet.  I dropped in a warm yellow.  I added salt when it was wet and shiny but not puddled.  The salt did not work on this one for whatever reason (but it did work for all of you...). 

I mixed a warm brown (warm red, plus warm yellow, and a little green blue).  I dampened the ear and dropped in the color adding a little extra in the darker areas (dampened, not as wet as when we did the background).  I am not trying to finish the ear, just get the base color and a little value down.  I started working on the shadow areas dampening them and adding the warm brown and loosely following the value pattern. I added a little more red to the warm brown for the nose area.   

Using the cool, darker brown mixed for the branch on the pears, I started working on some of the darker areas of the dog.  Again, not finishing, just getting the dark started.

The first three photos of the dog were taken with my phone in the classroom.  I did color some color correction on the computer.  

Photo taken at home in better lighting.

DAC CP & MM July and August, 2019

I worked on the body fur a bit more.  Need to do the collar next class so you can see it done.

DAC CP & MM July and August, 2019Usinf

Using my light and dark colored pencil, Indigo Blue and White, I worked on the values adding light and dark.  I did enough to make the image start to show up.  I will demonstrate adding the skin color and working on the hair and clothes in the next class.

NCBG ICP August 2019

Dura-Lar Matte, black and white/value side, black paper underneath.  I used indigo blue and dark brown mixed together to create the dark color and I used white.  You can use whatever dark color you wish. I concentrated on the values, the darks, mediums and lights.  This is still in process.

Dura-Lar Matte, black and white/value side, white paper underneath.  Remember to use your eraser and stik tak/poster putty to create lines and shapes lift and to lighten and smooth as needed.  Also remember that this paper does not take lots of layers and that we will work on both sides.

View from the color side, black paper underneath.

View from the color side, white paper underneath.

NCBG ICP August, 2019

The black and white side, the side we will start working on first.

The black and white side with colored paper behind it (so the white shows up).

View from the color side.

View from the color side with colored paper behind it (so the white shows up).
This post shows the beginning process when working on the Dura-Lar Matte surface.

DAC CP & MMI am continuing July and August, 2019

I am continuing to add colored pencil paying most attention to the values - the lights, mediums and darks.  I am secondarily considering the color.  You must have value in order to have form.  The highlights and shadows are critical. 

Watercolor texture, plastic wrap

Watercolor texture, plastic wrap

Watercolor texture, wax paper

Watercolor texture, salt (2 sizes of salt)

I made the background for this piece by wetting the paper, dropping in phthalo blue and aureolin yellow, and then adding salt when the paper was still wet but not puddled.  After it was dry I transferred the drawing with white transfer paper.  Then I started with a white pencil for my light color (you can also use light colors such as cream, light peach, or 10% gray).  I also started adding the darks with a dark pencil, indigo blue (you could also dark colors such black, black grape, 90% gray, dark brown). The light and dark color you use is determined by you and the color you used to make your background.  With the dark and light pencil start working on your values.  Do this fairly lightly so that other color can go over the top.

DAC cp&mm July and August 2019

I added more color and more white to the white bracts.  I used spanish orange and scarlet lake and a little indigo to add color and value.  Be careful with indigo as it changes quite a bit if white is put over it.

This is how it looked before adding colored pencil.

I have started on the head and ears with colored pencil.  There is none below the the collar.  I have used white first for the highlights and light areas.  I then usually go over the white with color as needed.  Using white is typically my first step.  Do your pencil strokes in the direction of the fur.  I have also used burnt ochre, spanish orange, scarlet lake, cream, black, true blue so far.  The true blue is in the background and a little on the dog.  Will use it on the collar most likely (will do that and the mouth next class among other things).

This is the second demo of the loose watercolor under painting.  I have made 2 passes.  I may make a third pass before starting colored pencil.

DAC CP & MM, July and August 2019

This is what it looked like after class last week.

This is what it looks like after another pass with color and value.  I mixed a purple and added it to the shadow side and to some shadows on the light side.  I then added a mixed a yellow orange brown (similar to a burnt sienna but a little more golden yellow).  I painted this over the cool yellows on the dog and into the lighter areas on the shadow side of the dog.  I painted the dog collar blue.  I then splattered the entire piece with the blue, purple and the mixed brown color.  I used a paper towel to lighten any splatters that were in a bad spot or seemed distracting.  I am happier with the values and textures of this as an under painting.

DAC, CP & MM, July and August 2019

I started adding color to the dogwood.  I will add more next class.  On the branch and bud I used scarlet lake, peacock blue, indigo, spanish orange.  On the white  I used spanish orange very lightly in some areas to warm the white.  On the ends I used spanish orange and scarlet lake and indigo in a few small dark places.  In the center I used yellow chartreuse and chartreuse plus white and indigo so far.

We started by transferring the drawing, wetting the paper and dropping in color for those using watercolor.  For watercolor pencil you have several ways to add color that I demonstrated in class (and will demonstrate again in the next class).  Use the colors that you like for this piece.  I then used the texture technique called sanding (which I will demonstrate again next class).  After the first pass the entire piece looked like the background, the dog did not show yet.  After that was dry, I used a black and brown watercolor pencil to add the darks.  I shaded it on and then wet it with a brush.  I then used a mixed brown watercolor to add some color and bright yellow where the light hit.  I need to add color to the shadow side of the dog still and to the collar as well.  When I do this I'll post to the blog again. 
REMEMBER - this is an under painting, we will add colored pencil to do the details and to finish this piece. 
Also, when you transfer the drawing remember to check that your graphite paper will stay when you put water over it.  Some graphite paper is made to go away as you paint which is helpful for watercolor but not for mixed media.  Check this by running a wet brush over a small area of the drawing a few times.   

DAC CP & MM July and August, 2019

added many layers of white paring attention to the details and the shadows.  I left some undone in case I need to demo the white a bit more in class.

The color wheel finished and labeled.

DAC Colored Pencil & Mixed Media

Color Wheel from another class, colors used were Pomegranate (CR), Scarlet lake (WR), Copenhagen Blue (PB). Peacock Blue (GB), Spanish Orange (WY), Yellow Chartreuse(CY).  Keep in mind that the colors seen here most likely do not look the way the colors look in person.  The applies to all images online and in photos.

An almost finished version of the dogwood.  We will add color in the next class.  This is so you can see where we are headed.

The dogwood in white (from another class).

This is the dogwood after class.  When I get more of the white done I will post it for you.  We will add color in the next class.

The partially completed color wheel from class.  I used Scarlet Lake (WR), Pomegranate (CR), True Blue (PB), Peacock Blue (GB), Canary yellow (CY) and Spanish Orange (WY).  The extra dots are other colors that can be used.  The yellow dot is yellow chartreuse.  The red dots are Crimson red on top and crimson lake on the bottom. The blue dots are Copenhagen blue on top and indigo blue on the bottom.  Keep in mind that the colors seen here most likely do not look the way the colors look in person.  The applies to all images online and in photos.  I need to finish the purples and oranges.