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Category: watercolor painting

More About Yellow Watercolors

More About Yellow Watercolors

I like to make a color swatch of each color.  This takes some time but it is fun to do!  You can learn a lot about your colors this way.  I start by cutting pieces of watercolor paper 3″ x 1.5″.

I write the name of the color and the manufacturer of the paint on the back side of the paper.  Then I wet the front of the paper and paint it.  I try to have lay the color on thick and thin to see how dark it can get.  When it is dry I write the name of the paint on the front of the paper.

When I decide on a color, I start to lay the tubes of paint around my palette to see where they will go.

Yellow

Yellow

Starting with the color yellow, I took a look at all the tubes of paint I own.  I have a lot of tubes of paint!!!
I want a well rounded representation from cool yellows to warmer yellows.  To best see the colors, I painted little samples on watercolor paper.  Then I organized them according to the color wheel.

I always check the information that is available on the tubes of paint.  Paint manufacturers often switch out pigments but maintain the same name of the color.  Here is an example:
This is an example of Sennelier’s Indian Yellow.  The older tube on the left is made up of PY153.  The newer tube on the right is made up of PY 154, and PY 153.  They do look different!
More Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the Watercolor Artist

More Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the Watercolor Artist

Little watercolor sketchbooks are a great gift idea for artists.  I take mine traveling as they are small and can easily fit in my purse.  I sketch and paint in them while sitting in a cafe or when I have a few moments to myself.  They come in several sizes.  Since I like to paint with watercolors, I get the ones that have watercolor paper in them.  The Moleskine brand is very popular and easy to find.  They are available online but also easily found in office supply and bookstores.  I found a lesser known brand that I prefer.  It is the Pentalic Aqua Journal.  I find that the paper is a better quality and great for painting with watercolors. The Moleskine paper is 200 gm and the Pentalic is 300 gm which means that the paper is a heavier weight.  Watercolor artists will appreciate that!  

Finding Inspiration to Paint, Part 2

Finding Inspiration to Paint, Part 2

We all find a creative roadblock once in awhile.  So I thought I would continue to share with you some of the things I like to do to get my creative juices flowing again.  Last week I blogged about inviting art friends over.  A couple of responses I received were great ideas too – Celeste recommended traveling to inspire her and Susan says to “slow down and really look around”.  Thank you for these great ideas!
Today’s thought for inspiration is to look through an art book for ideas.  Whether you browse through your own personal art book library or visit the
local library, check out what other artists are doing and see what inspires you.  Try a new technique that is described in the book or try to recreate a painting that you love.  The Splash series books are a wonderful collection of the best of watercolor.  Each book has a focus (light, value, creative solutions…) and is filled with beautiful, inspiring watercolor paintings.

This painting was inspired by what I read in a book about adding white gouache to your painting.  It was quickly done – playful and colorful!

More from Art and Soul, 2016

More from Art and Soul, 2016

I was so impressed by the beautiful art that my students created at the Portland Art and Soul Retreat. I shared some fun, easy watercolor exercises and then gorgeous watercolor paintings started happening!  Painting soothes the soul and make our hearts happy.  Here are more photos of the paintings we did:

Check Out the New Issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

Check Out the New Issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

Just out is the March/April issue of the the Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine.   My article, Making Your Own Map, is featured in the Jump-start section.  Check it out!  This is a technique that we will use in my upcoming watercolor journaling trip to Orvieto, Italy, with Adventures in Italy.  There is still time to sign up for this fabulous trip!

Painting Ideas

Painting Ideas

Colorful Spring! Spring makes me think of colorful flowers, bright blue skies and birds singing in the yard. What a wonderful time to do some watercolor painting! I have been busy writing magazine articles to inspire you to fill your world with color! Grab your watercolor supplies and join me as I walk you through some fun painting ideas. Watch for my upcoming articles in these magazines:

 Searching for Shapes, April 2014 Issue of  Art Journaling by Somerset Studio

A Day in the Life of – a Photo Story, Summer 2014 Issue of Studios Magazine by Interweave Press


Water-Soluble Pens in Journaling, Summer 2014 issue of Pages Magazine by Interweave Press
Black-and-White Journal Pages, Summer 2014 Issue of Pages Magazine by Interweave Press
The Colorful World of Flora and Fauna, July/August 2014 Issue of Cloth-Paper-Scissors Magazine by Interweave Press
Cover Art for Art Journaling,

Cover Art for Art Journaling,

I was so surprised and honored to find out that my art was chosen to be the cover art for the spring 2014 issue of ART JOURNALING magazine!

It will be on in stores available for purchase on April 1, 2014.   My article is about using shape to design journal pages.
This photo did not get into the article so I wanted to share it with you here.  Here is what I write about this page in my Patagonia watercolor journal.

One of my favorite journal pages is one where I painted a meadowlark and a vista behind him.  The meadowlarks were plentiful and darted about the brush flashing their red bellies.  I often heard their melody as we hiked.  Instead of just painting a scene with a meadowlark in it, I wanted to try a different point of view.  I painted him much larger than the vista and had him placed off to one side to help frame the page. He is looking back over landscape as if to say he is the guardian of this remote area.  

I hope you enjoy this new issue of Art Journaling!

http://stampington.com/Art-Journaling-Spring-2014


A Time to Relax

A Time to Relax

The thing about the warm southern sun, tropical breeze and bright sand, is that it just makes you slow down, relax and enjoy.  Coming from snow and cold winds, makes it next to impossible to paint out-of-doors in the winter so I love being in this Mexican warmth and painting what is in front of me.  On our whale watching and kayaking trip I enjoyed painting the following scenes in my watercolor journal…..