Tiny Canvas Fun

 

"On the Wind"

2" x 2" acrylic painting on canvas

 

 

 

 

The painting above is an acrylic painted on a "tiny" canvas measuring 2 inches by 2 inches.  It is interesting to paint in small scale.   Most beginners that I teach feel that the smaller the painting, the easier it will be to paint.  That is not necessarily true. 

 

Fact: Different sizes of canvas have their own set of challenges. The amount of time it takes to paint a small painting may not vary from the amount of time it takes to paint a large one.    The painting may be tiny in size, but they don't only take minutes to complete.   AND, they require a steady hand and a sharp eye.

A large painting or a small one depends not only on the subject but the effect or feeling you want to convey. 

AND, to the artist, take under consideration the quote below:

"Can you believe it is not at all easier to draw a figure of about a foot high than to draw a small one? On the contrary, it is much more difficult." -- Van Gogh

 

 

So, if you want to paint "tiny," consider your subject.    The sailboat above was a good choice for a small painting.  None of the elements of the painting required much detail.  The effect I was after was the feeling of the windy sky  - not details of the boat, etc.

Here's how to paint a "tiny" seascape.

Materials required:
Small canvas (I chose a 2" x 2" canvas).  These are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased for around $1 each.
Paint brushes:  small flat, small round and liner brush for details
Paint:

• white
• black
• ultramarine blue
• cerulean blue
• cobalt blue
• burnt umber
• yellow ochre
• crimson

Painting Instructions:
I used a pencil to lightly draw in the horizon and block in the land mass on the right.  I positioned the sailboat and lightly sketched in the boat. 

Starting at the top of the canvas and working down, paint in the sky using various shades of blue and white paint.  Add a little crimson to the blue as well as black/white mixed to a gray.  Swirl in the clouds to make the sky interesting and convey the message of a windy day.    Working around the sail lighten the sky color as it nears the horizon and meets the ocean. 

Painting with the same color of blues, deepen the shade as you paint the water from the horizon down to the front of the painting. 

Paint the land on the right using burnt umber, yellow ochre, black/gray.  Use the yellow ochre to indicate sunlight areas of the land.  Add a few rocks near the coastline in the water.  Vary your paint colors to show the contour of the land. 

I painted the sailboat last.  The cabin of the boat is a mix of white and black/gray.  Only basic details are painted; i.e. the windows and side of the boat.  The sail is the main feature of the boat which was painted with white and shaped by adding blue.  The mast was painted using the liner brush and white paint.  Remember the boat is not the most important aspect of this painting - the sky is. 

Tip:  Allow the paint to dry and place a small piece of masking tape from top to bottom on the edge of the sail where you need to paint the mast.  The masking tape will act as a guide for your paint - similar to a ruler.   Remove after painting your mast and you will have perfectly straight line. 

Allow to dry and sign your painting!


Happy Painting!
Karen

"Beach Time" – Cape Hatteras

Beach Time – Cape Hatteras

The watercolor painting above is another one of the paintings from my watercolor journal done while on vacation at the Outer Banks.  Beach scenes lend themselves to watercolor medium since the paints in sky, the ocean and the beach blend together effortlessly in watercolor.

Various colors and shades of blue are used both in the water and the sky.  The intensity of the color changes based on the sky condition and water depth.

The sunnier the day, the lighter the intensity of the blue for the sky.  The deeper the water, the darker the intensity of the blue for the water.  Also, remember the water is not only blue, but contains shades of green.  The sky is not only blue, but may have various shades of red to purple to gray mixed in.    Both the sky and the water reflect the colors from each. 

Before, starting to paint, look at the sky and the water….really LOOK at the colors of which each are comprised and use those colors to your advantage in your painting.  The use of various shades and intensities of color will make your painting more interesting and realistic.

Materials Needed:

140 lb. watercolor paper* or watercolor journal

(I used a journal for these paintings, as I painted while on vacation.)

*Always prepare your paper by using masking tape to secure to a board.

Brushes:  Size of your choice

Round brush

½” flat brush

Liner or detail brush

Paint:

• Cerulean blue
• Windsor Blue
• Ultramarine blue
• Payne’s Gray
• Sap Green
• Yellow Ochre
• Alizarin Crimson
• VanDyke Brown

 Pencil

Kneaded Eraser

 

Instructions:

There is not much sketching to do on a seascape.  I lightly sketched in the horizon and the location where the beach met the water.  That was it!  Now, let’s get started painting!

Sky:

Paint in your sky first using a wet on wet technique down to the horizon where the sky meets the water.  I used Cerulean Blue at the top section of sky and painted around the clouds.  Using a mix of Cerulean Blue and Windsor Blue paint the sky under the clouds dropping in a mix of crimson at the bottom of the clouds and allow to mix with the blue to make purple.  Allow the sky to become almost white at the horizon.  A touch of Payne’s gray can also be dropped in the base of the clouds.  Using gray and blues and a round brush, add shape to the clouds.   Use a paper towel to gently lift and shape some of the blue paint to further indicate clouds.  Allow to dry. 

Ocean:

Paint in the ocean using varying shades of Window Blue.  Painting across and down add a small amount of sap green leaving small areas of white to indicate waves.  Adding a touch of sap green to the blue helps separate the sky from the water, yet tie the two together.  Work your paint around the waves which are bigger where they hit the beach.  Using a round brush and light shades of paint, swirl the paint lightly in the waves to indicate movement.  Allow the ocean to dry.   

Beach:

The small area of beach in the foreground is covered lightly in water.  Leave some areas white, but paint in varying shades of Yellow Ochre and while still wet use a flat brush and pull in shades of blue and green.  The deepest shade of Yellow Ochre is where the white waves meet the beach. 

Tip:

If you have trouble painting around the waves and leaving areas of the waves white, masking fluid can be used to mask off the waves while painting the water and then removed after the paint has dried.  You will still need to go back and paint in some shadows in the waves to indicated movement.    This will not allow your painting to be as spontaneous and it will be less impressionistic.  I am an impressionistic painter so I prefer the look achieved when not using the masking fluid.

Check your painting for any details you may want to add.  When satisfied, sign your painting!

Congratulations and Happy Painting!

Karen

 

 

"Peek at the Ocean from Ocracoke Island" – Cape Hatteras

"Peek at the Ocean from Ocracoke Island" – Cape Hatteras

 The watercolor painting above is from my watercolor journal painted while on vacation at the Outer Banks.  This scene was painted from the parking area for the ferry on just a little strip of beach looking out into the water.    The day was sunny and bright with sparking light reflections bouncing off the water.  

Various colors and shades of blue are used both in the water and the sky.  White highlights reflect the sunny reflections on the water.  Sea oats were growing on the left side of the sand and the sand contained large pieces of shell and wood. 

Materials Needed:

140 lb. watercolor paper* or watercolor journal
(I used a journal for these paintings, as I painted while on vacation.)
*Always prepare your paper by using masking tape to secure to a board.

Brushes:  Size of your choice

• Round brush
• ½” flat brush
• Liner or detail brush

Piece of credit card or small palette knife 

Note:  I use small pieces of gift cards or credit cards to quickly pull in fine lines.) 

Paint:

• Cerulean blue
• Windsor Blue
• Ultramarine blue
• Payne’s Gray
• Sap Green
• Yellow Ochre
• Vandyke Brown

Pencil
Kneaded Eraser

Instructions:

Lightly sketch in the horizon where the beach meets the water and sketch the small slope of sand on the left side.  It is not necessary to sketch in the sea oats.  That‘s all the sketching needed.  Now, let’s get started painting!

Sky:

Paint in your sky first using a wet on wet technique down to the horizon where the sky meets the water and around the sand.  I used Cerulean Blue at the top section of sky and painted around the clouds allowing the color to become lighter as it progresses down the page to the horizon.  Use a paper towel to gently lift and shape some of the blue paint to further indicate clouds.  Allow to dry. 

Ocean:

Paint in the ocean using varying shades of Window Blue, Cerulean Blue and Sap Green.  Painting across and down add a small amount of Sap Green leaving small areas of white to indicate waves.  Keep the darkest blue at the horizon.    Allow the ocean to dry.   

Beach:

Paint the areas of beach in a wet on wet technique, leaving some areas white, but paint in very pale shades of Yellow Ochre and Payne’s Gray.   Allow to dry.

Sea Oats:

Using a wash of Sap Green, Yellow Ochre and Van Dyke Brown, drop in these colors at the base of where you would like your sea oats.  Paint one plant at a time.  After dropping in your paint, use the edge of the credit card or the palette knife to pull up stems of sea grass.  Then using the round brush, paint in some leaves by pulling up from the base.  Paint all four plants in the same manner.  After the plants have dried, use clean water and wet an area under the sea oats; this will be the shadows of the plant.  Drop in a light shade of Payne’s gray mixed with Yellow Ochre to form the shadows under each plant.   Allow to dry.

Finishing touches:

Cover the sky and water with a tissue or sheet of paper to prevent spatters of paint from getting on this section.    Use a wash of Vandyke Brown, Yellow Ochre and Payne’s Gray and spatter dots of the paint on the sand.  This will indicate the small pebbles, shell and wood debris scattered along the beach.  Allow to dry. 

Tip:

If you have trouble painting around the waves and leaving areas of the waves white, masking fluid can be used to mask off the waves while painting the water and then removed after the paint has dried.  You will still need to go back and paint in some shadows in the waves to indicated movement.    

Any substance that will “mask” the paper and prevent paint from settling on the page can be used to leave your wave areas white.  In addition to masking fluid, I have used bits of masking tape to mask areas of the painting.  If you don’t want straight lines, be certain to tear little bits of tape by hand rather than using scissors for an uneven edge. 

 Check your painting for any details you may want to add.  When satisfied, sign your painting!

 Congratulations and Happy Painting!

Karen

 

 

 

 

"Storm Brewing" (Waves near the Pier) – Cape Hatteras

 Storm Brewing (Waves near the Pier) – Cape Hatteras

Storm Brewing was painted on location (plein air) while at the Outer Banks of North Carolina.    This was painted rather quickly late one afternoon before an afternoon thunderstorm sent me back inside.    There were already storms not too far out to sea and the water was churning near the pier where the rocks were located.  In this case, the water was mainly a deep green.    The sky was dark with hints of gray mixed in with the white clouds. 

Materials Needed:

140 lb. watercolor paper* or watercolor journal

(I used a journal for these paintings, as I painted while on vacation.)

*Always prepare your paper by using masking tape to secure to a board.

Brushes:  Size of your choice

• Round brush
• ½” flat brush
• Liner or detail brush

Paint:

• Cerulean blue
• Windsor Blue
• Ultramarine blue
• Payne’s Gray
• Sap Green
• Yellow Ochre
• Alizarin Crimson
• Vandyke brown

Pencil

Kneaded Eraser

Instructions:

I lightly sketched in the horizon and the rocks and pier.  This was for placement only not for details.  I painted in this order:  sky, rocks/pier, water.    I did, however, pencil in the areas that I wanted to remain white, so that I would not fill in those areas with color. 

Sky:

Paint in your sky first using a wet on wet technique down to the horizon where the sky meets the water and the rock/pier.  I used layers of color:  gray/blue, strip of white cloud, Cerulean Blue, white cloud, a mix of gray and Windsor blue down to meet the water at the horizon.  Using lots of water and a tissue, drop in your paint across the page and blot up any excess water and paint, creating swirls and clouds.

Allow to dry. 

Rocks/Pier

Use a wash of Van Dyke Brown, Payne’s Gray, and yellow ochre for this section.  I started with a light wash of yellow ochre and then dropped in Payne’s Gray and Van Dyke Brown in various intensities.  Be certain to work around the areas of water and foam.   Allow to dry.  Using a dry brush and Van Dyke brown, paint in some lines for the logs in the pier.  Refer to the photo above and added some darker areas.  

Ocean:

Paint in the ocean using varying shades of green blue mixed from Sap Green and Windsor blue leaving small areas of white to indicate waves.  Adding a touch of sap green to the blue helps separate the sky from the water.  Using a round brush, swirl the paint lightly in the waves to indicate movement.  Allow the ocean to dry.   

Tip:

If you have trouble painting around the waves and leaving areas of the waves white, masking fluid can be used to mask off the waves while painting the water and then removed after the paint has dried.  You will still need to go back and paint in some shadows in the waves to indicated movement.    If you don’t want to use masking fluid, paint around the white areas and/or use a blade to scrape away some of the once it is dry. 

Check your painting for any details you may want to add.  When satisfied, sign your painting!

Congratulations and Happy Painting!

Karen

 

 

 

"Deep Blue Sea" – Cape Hatteras National Seashore

 

"Deep Blue Sea"  – Cape Hatteras National Seashore

The watercolor painting above was painted from one of the many beaches along the shore at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the nation’s first national seashore, was established in 1937 to preserve significant segments of unspoiled barrier islands along North Carolina’s stretch of the Atlantic Coast.

 This painting is my Impressionist interpretation of a section of the ocean near the shore with waves breaking showing the turbulence of the water and the changing colors in the waves. 

Various colors, shades and intensities of blue and green are used in the water.  The use of various shades and intensities of color will make your painting more interesting and realistic.

 Materials Needed:

140 lb. watercolor paper* or watercolor journal

(I used a journal for these paintings, as I painted while on vacation.)

*Always prepare your paper by using masking tape to secure to a board.

Brushes:  Size of your choice

Round brush
½” flat brush
Liner or detail brush

Paint:

• Cerulean blue
• Windsor Blue
• Ultramarine blue
• Sap Green
• Hooker Green

Pencil

Kneaded Eraser

Instructions:

The only sketching that I did on this painting to was sketch in the sections of water that I wanted to remain white.  Notice that I painted the waves at an angle moving across and down the sheet of paper from right down to left.   Do not paint the waves straight across the page.   Now, let’s get started painting!

I painted sections; one at a time above and below the large white wave using a wet on wet technique.  As with any watercolor, work from light to dark as you will be unable to cover up any darker paints with lighter ones.  Mix all of the paint that you feel you will need before you start painting.  You will need to work quickly allowing the paint to mix together with very little help from your brush. 

Using my painting as a reference, paint and drop in the greens and blues to add interest and movement to your waves. As the paint is starting to dry, use a spray bottle with clean water and mist some of the sections of your waves and allow them to bleed into your white sections of foam.    Allow to dry.

Using the tip of your round brush or liner brush, paint in a few lines of color on the crest of the waves using a deep blue. 

Do not overwork this painting, it is better when the paint mergers together and creates swirls without assistance.  Let the water do the work?

 

Tip:

If you have trouble painting around the waves and leaving areas of the waves white, masking fluid can be used to mask off the waves while painting the water and then removed after the paint has dried.  You will still need to go back and paint in some shadows in the waves to indicated movement.    This will not allow your painting to be as spontaneous and it will be less impressionistic.  I am an impressionistic painter so I prefer the look achieved when not using the masking fluid.

Check your painting for any details you may want to add.  When satisfied, sign your name!

Congratulations and Happy Painting!

Karen