Teacup Garden

Teacup Garden
Watercolor 7" x 10" Mats to 11" x 14"

This week's blog is done in honor of my aunt, Dorris, who passed away this past week.  She was 92 years old and a very special lady.  She always loved paintings of flowers and pastel colors were her favorite.  My painting above, Teacup Garden, reminds me of her.   She will be missed!

Watercolor Tip:
When painting flowers, each petal must be done separately or there will be no distinction from one petal to the next.  Wet each petal with clean water and drop in color.  The water will pull the color and when dry create a nice color transition.  To speed up the painting, paint every other petal.  By the time you have returned to the first petal painted, the touching petal will be dry and can be painted.

 

It's Spring.......in my dreams!

Sunnyside Up
Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

Spring really is just around the corner, but until Spring arrives we can dream about it or we can paint it!  One of my favorite flowers is a daffodil.  Not only are they yellow (my favorite color), but they are the early messengers of Spring! 

I had a great time painting this one-- it has a surprise technique!  This technique can be used for various subjects, but I especially like it for flowers.  Here is the surprise!

1) Do not tape down your paper before your sketch. Sketch in the flowers and leaves with little detail. Make the pencil lines dark enough on the flowers to be seen after the crumpling and wetting technique, but do not press hard enough to indent or scratch the paper.


2) Here’s the hard part………crumple the paper up in a ball as though you were going to throw it away. Concentrate on making wrinkles in all areas of the paper without tearing it….crumple easily.

3) Submerge the paper ball into water making certain it is evenly wet. Remove from the water and unfold carefully. Smooth onto your sketch board and tape along the edges. The tape will not stick well to the wet surface; however, it will hold enough to keep the paper in place.

4) While the paper is still very wet, float in the background of green and blue working around the flowers. I used sap green and Windsor blue; however, other shades of blue and green can be used with a pleasing effect. Use a large flat brush or mop to place in the background except for working around the flowers. Use a #6 round or similar size brush to work in the background around the flowers.

5) Let this dry COMPLETELY!

6)  Now you can paint in your flowers!

Have fun!  This technique must have been discovered by a frustrated watercolor artist who wadded up, threw away the painting AND then had second thoughts, pulled it out of the trash, smoothed it down and went to work!

Give it a try - if nothing else, you can release some frustration while you dig out of the snow and wait for Spring!

Shelter in the Pines

Shelter in the Pines

Watercolor 8.5" x 11"  Mats to 12" x 16"

I have been highlighting landscapes these last few weeks; but since so many areas have had large amounts of snow, I thought I would take a break and show this seasonal snowy painting.  I enjoy painting birds and have done at least one scene for each season of the year.

Birds are interesting subjects to paint and can be very detailed, if that is your style of painting.   However, some very realistic paintings can be executed with a minimal of detail, such as my painting above.  I don't detail every feather and let one's imagination fill in the blanks.

Watercolor Tip
The snow was achieved on the branches by using masking fluid to keep the background color off as well as the branch color.  I painted the entire painting before I removed the masking fluid.  When the masking fluid was removed, the snow was a nice contract with the brown branches as well as the background.  The painting was finished by spattering a little white paint on for snowflakes!

Perhaps, this will be the last of the snow and we can look forward to Spring!

Sam's Barn

Sam's Barn

Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

The painting above, Sam's Barn, is typical of barns found in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Eastern United States.   The season in this painting is early summer with wild flowers blooming in the foreground and bright green foliage on the trees. 

This barn is another example of a flat tin roof using the technique I discussed in my last blog.  This is a good example of the same type of roof only with different colors more suitable for an old barn.  I used additional burnt sienna and ultramarine on this barn roof  than on my cabin roof. 

Watercolor Tip
A fan brush was used to add the tall grasses in the foreground.  I have found a fan brush to be quite versatile and can be used for many applications from grasses to fur.  If you have not tried a fan brush yet, I would recommend giving one a try.

Painting Flat Tin Roofs

Retreat at Hollow Rock

Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

Landscapes have been the focus of my watercolor classes this session and one of my favorite types of landscapes includes rustic structures.....cabins, barns, etc. 

My watercolor above, Retreat at Hollow Rock, contains a flat tin roof cabin.  Tin roofs vary in color based on many different factors including age, climate in the area, and the surrounding landscape (wooded or treeless).  Also, the light or dark color of the roof is also influenced by the reflection of the sun.  The tin roof above was painted during midday sun and is much lighter and brighter than a tin roof painted in a shady area or in early morning or afternoon.

The materials used for barn roofing or sheds can vary from region to region depending on what materials are more readily available locally. Tin roofs have a certain rustic appeal. The types of roofs are most often found in rural areas of the United States. The following are colors useful when painting rusted flat tin roofs.

Burnt Sienna
Ultramarine
Windsor Orange

These colors are also used; however, the instructions below used the above listed paint colors.
Burnt Umber
Paynes Gray

 

Sketch a flat tin roof and paint using the following steps.

 1. Using a ½ inch flat brush paint the roof using Windsor Orange.

 2. Add Burnt Sienna to the mix to paint the bottom panels and leave some areas white.

 3. Add Ultramarine to the mix and continue painting wet into wet. Allow to dry.

 4. Paint the horizontal sections of the roof with a rigger brush or a small flat brush on edge using Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine.

 5. Finally paint the diagonal lines following the slop of the roof with Windsor Orange and Ultramarine.

 6. The flat tin roof is complete, paint the remainder of the structure.

 

Corruggated tin roofs have a few additional steps to indicate the grooves in the tin. 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Sadie!

Sadie
Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

Painting animals of any type is a challenge for me.   Yet, every now and then I run across an animal that tempts me to pick up my brush and see what I can do.  Needless to say, I love furry dogs - any size and this one just pulled at my heartstrings.  So, above is my attempt at capturing Sadie's personality. 

I am not the type of painter that enjoys excessive detail in my work.....a photo can do that.  I wanted to paint "personality".  Therefore,  the fur in this painting is an example of that - my interpretation.  I laid down a wash of different "fur" colors (leaving some spots of white paper highlights) with a few detailed bits of fur which were accomplished with my larger fan brush. Painting eyes can sometimes be tricky as well.  I wanted depth without detail.

Below are a few tips for painting dog fur and eyes.   

Painting Dogs' Fur Tip:

Dog hair doesn't only vary in length, color, and curliness, but it also grows in different directions on different parts of the body. This is visible even on the shortest-haired of dogs. The face is one region where there are several 'changes' in direction of hair.   Check the direction and length as you paint.  This does make a difference in the final product.

Painting Dogs' Eyes Tip:
Start by observing where the highlights in the dog's eyes are. Draw this, then the size of the pupil (black part of the eye), then the size of the iris (colored part) and then the rest of the eye. If you get the highlight in a dog's eyes in the correct place and in the correct proportion, the eyes will look right.

Most dogs have brown eyes, but of course not all browns are the same, nor uniform, so once again be sure to not to paint a generic eye colour but to look closely at the specific colour of that specific dog's eyes. The irises of the eyes of miniature dogs tend not to be very visible. Like humans, dogs can have eyes that are different colors, though it's rare.

I love a challenge, don't you?  Accepting a challenge in painting helps one grow as a painter.  Pick up that brush, accept your challenge!  You'll be glad you did.  I was!  And because of that I was able to introduce you to Sadie!

Happy Painting!

Wind Power

Wind Power

Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

My watercolor class focus this session is on landscape painting.  I think the students all agree that the most difficult part of landscape painting is selecting the subject to paint.   I'm not saying that executing the painting is not challenging, but that there are so many wonderful things to paint that getting started is one of the hardest parts!

Painting a sky in a landscape sets the tone for the painting.  In my painting above, Wind Power, I selected a stormy, cloud-filled sky to accent the power of the wind as well as give additional credence to the wind blown grasses/reed in the foreground.  My favorite part of this painting is the foreground.  The reeds, which emphasis the movement of the wind, are the first part of the painting to catch the eye.  The viewer is then drawn into the painting.

 

Landscape Painting Tip:

Give the foreground preference.  Draw the viewer's eye into the main focus of the landscape painting. 

Tile Roofs

Field of Flowers
Watercolor 9" x 12" Mats to 14" x 16"

This entry will focus on how to paint a tile roof.  This was the topic in my advanced watercolor class this past week.  I am trying to tie elements of a landscape together by focusing on specific features that may be found in a landscape.  Since Mediterranean landscapes are popular subjects now I thought I would highlight an element that might be found in one of those types of landscapes.  In the painting above, "Field of Flowers,"  the farmhouse has a tile roof.    Although the main element of the painting is not the farmhouse, a poorly done roof would spoil the painting.  The following steps should help with painting a tile roof.

Tile roofs fall into the color range known as terracotta, which can be anything from a light, sandy red to a deep orange with a splash of blue. Terracotta color is achieved by mixing several different watercolor paints together. The following watercolors are often used for tile roofs:

• Burnt Sienna

• Raw Sienna

• Burnt Umber

• Cadmium Red

• Windsor Orange

• Ultramarine

• Cobalt Blue

Note: Not all of these colors are used at the same time.

Sketch in a section of tile roof and paint using the following steps. Your choice of colors depends on the shade roof that would fit appropriately in your painting. The following colors are simply selected as a sample.

1. Wet the roof area with a round brush (a #12 works well).

2. Drop in Windsor Orange followed by Burnt Sienna.

3. Leave some areas of the roof white and/or light in color.

4. Drop in Cobalt Blue wet into wet to create an uneven, weathered effect on all tiles.

5. Continue working wet into wet; run the Cobalt Blue down the gulleys between the tiles.

6. Paint the divisions between the ridge tiles and the shadow beneath with a small round or liner brush and Burnt Umber mixed with Ultramarine.

7. Using the same brush and paint mixture, paint the tile with little half moon shapes. There is no shortcut t painting these – you must take your time.

8. Paint the vertical shadows between the tiles with a slight darker mix of Burnt Umber and Ultramarine.

9. Paint the reversed tiles under the roof which carry the water away. This step completes your tile roof.

Winter Landscape

Snow Days
Watercolor 9" x 12"  Mats to 14" x 16"

Landscapes are some of my favorite types of paintings.  Although I enjoy painting a still life and other subjects, I enjoy the act of recreating a landscape.  There’s simply something about a magnificent landscape that makes me long to capture its essence on paper, to be able to create a landscape painting that generates the same powerful feelings in someone who views the painting as the landscape did in me.   A well done landscape allows the viewer to be pulled into the scene and become a part of that moment in time.    To me, painting a landscape allows me to make time "stand still" and to create memories for the future.

I love snowy weather and the fun memories that a "good, fresh" snow can make.  In the painting above, the color of the sky and the use of browns and grays in the house, trees, and buildings convey the idea that this snow probably fell overnight and the storm is not over yet.  I included the snowman and sled to add some "happy" color, tell a story and introduce the idea that this snow has been enjoyed by the children living in this house who may well be inside warming up with steaming mugs of hot cocoa! 

Whatever type of landscape you paint, consider the message you are trying to convey and use your paint to bring that idea to life. 

By the way,  landscapes are one of the top-selling subjects for paintings.    So, I am not the only one that enjoys a good landscape!

Reflections

Soulful Reflections
Charcoal Pastels on grey paper by Karen Cooke - 9" x 12"
Artist's private collection



The start of each new year calls for reflection on the year past and a commitment for renewal and growth in the coming year.   As we take stock of where we are currently, remember to be proud of accomplishments and growth no matter how small and set goals for the coming year - both personally and artistically.

As I review 2009, I ask myself these questions:

1. 
   
   Did I paint as much as I had planned?  Absolutely not!  No matter how much I enjoy and plan to paint daily; everyday life, jobs, and commitments, kept getting in the way.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Can I draw or paint more in 2010?  Positively!  I will schedule more time for painting, just like I schedule time for grocery shopping, doctors' appointments, etc. The time is mine to prioritize in any way I see fit.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Did I  make mistakes in my painting?  Of course!  But, I learned from those mistakes and am a better artist because of them.  Happy mistakes make some of the best paintings!
   
   
   

As I plan my goals for 2010, I am reminded of a comment by one of my watercolor students when a painting does not turn out as planned.  "It's only paper!"  So live each day with an unlimited supply of paper.  Don't be afraid to start over on a new day.   It's only paper -- each day and each sheet is yours to create!

Happy Painting and Happy New Year!