Rust - Created in Hours not Years!

The latch and the lock were "rusted" in two different sittings so that both items would have completely different rust patterns. The painting above shows the rusted latch and the lock in the process of drying. The process of creating the rust was demonstrated in the previous blog.

The photo above shows the removal of the sand after the paint was completely dry. I use an old toothbrush to gently remove the sand without scratching the surface of the paper. It usually takes several hours for the paint to dry completely and may take overnight to create the texture from the grains of sand. If you are not satisfied with the texture or the color, paint can be applied agin to the area and the procedure repeated.

After the sand was completely removed, the texture can be seen. The photo below shows the texture created from the sand.

Now, it is time to add detail. Areas in the shadow were darkened using a wash of Indigo, but done with a light tough. Do not overwork, or you will lose the texture just created. Highlights were scratched in with a utility knife on the points of the screws on the lock. The key hole was darkened and a small highlight scratched in.

Finally, the wood was spattered with Sepia to further add some age to the wood. The painting below is the finished product.

Happy Painting!

Karen

Rust and How to Paint It! A Special Texturizing Technique!

The old lock on my painting of a door at Fort Loudon is created with a special wash. In order to give the lock a rusty look, I am using a sand-impressed wash.

How to create a sand-impressed wash:

Step 1 - Apply the base color of the metal
The lock and clasp are first based painted with a wash of Indigo and Burnt Sienna. Apply this gray wash to the damp area and let it dry thoroughly. This will be the base color of the iron. The photo of the painting above shows the base coat.

Step 2 - Applying the rust
Over the dry base, drop in a varied mix of Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, and Indigo. Use these in varying amounts to adjust the amount of "rust" desired. The rustier the object, the more Burnt Sienna, the "newer" the more Indigo. Deepen the color in any shaded areas.

Step 3 - Applying the texture
Sprinkle the wet paint surface with sand. See my photo below. I used a jar of decorative sand simply because I found it on sale and it is easy to keep handy in my art studio. Any clean sand will work--play sand or garden sand are easy to find and are inexpensive.

Now for the hardest part of this texturizing technique - let the paint and sand dry completely before brushing off!

Next blog.....the "reveal!" Until next time.......

Happy Painting!
Karen

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Celebrate with family and friends and enjoy some ice cold watermelon!

Happy Painting!
Karen

Painting Old Wood

Old and weathered wood is the background for this painting and takes up the majority of the painting while acting as a subtle backdrop for the old lock.

Painting old wood is easy to do using a mix of different muted colors.

Here's how:

Wet the wood area with clean water and apply a place wash of yellow ochre, Payne's gray, and sepia. Drop in the colors in various locations. Some areas can even remain without color. Since the area was wet before the paint was applied, the color will run and blend.

Let this dry. Using a 1/2 inch flat brush with the bristles fanned out slight, dry brush in wavy grain lines with a wash of Sepia and Payne's gray.

Let this dry and use a fine liner brush or a watercolor pen and draw in a few lines to further indicate the wood grain.

Don't forget to deepen the color in the shadows under the lock.

The example above shows the first step in painting the weathered wood background showing one section left unpainted. Note in the painting at the beginning of the blog, the direction of the wood grain showing the door in the center and the siding on the left, which is running horizontal rather than vertical like the door.

Next time, the lock!! Until then...

Happy Painting!
Karen

Which View Do I Paint?

On a recent visit to Ft. Loudon Historic Area, I took my camera to snap a few photos for future paintings. Since we were at the area to hike and visit the fort, I did not bring my watercolor painting supplies with me, but I always travel with my camera. I found many great subjects for paintings and wounds up with around 50 photos...some of which I can discard, but some of interesting subjects to paint.

When taking photos for a painting, look at all sorts of subjects - including the weed growing along the trail as well as the "big" subject, which in this case was the fort itself. Above is a photo of the fort showing the line of soldiers' sleeping quarters.

Below is a close up of the barracks zeroing in on my subject for today's painting.

Look at things from a different perspective to find some interesting topics for paintings.

I'll cover how to paint weathered wood and rusty locks in this painting. But, to get started, below is my sketch.

Next time you are visiting interesting places, look for the unusual subject.....you will have fun painting it!

Next blog, I'll start on the wood! Until then......

Happy Painting!

Karen

Bright Sunset

The watercolor above was painted from a photo taken at sunset on a clear day at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains. Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet is the highest elevation in the Smokies and is often found shrouded in clouds. An observation dome offers a 360 degree panaroma of the park peaks in both Tennessee and North Carolina.

I love bright colors, so this landscape was fun for me to paint. It is not necessary to sketch in your painting; however, you might want to plan the horizon before you start. Be certain to keep the horizon uneven.

How to Paint the Sky
I started at the horizon and painted a wash up to the top of the painting. I used my darkest orange shade first and worked up dropping in yellow in the center. Before the sky completely dried, I dropped in Indigo as well as Payne's Grey. The sky area must dry before you start painting the mountains.

How to Paint the Mountains
Again, I started at the horizon, but this time I worked down to the bottom of the page. I first mixed all my paint using a mix of Indigo and Payne's Grey, but varying the intensity using the lightest at the horizon. I washed in the first range of mountains at the horizon and worked down. I let each wash dry before applying the next so that the mountains retained shape rather than blending together.

How to Paint the Foreground
There are faint outlines of spruce fir trees in the foreground. These were painted using the deepest color mix and adding a little Sap Green. Using the edge of a flat brush, the branches were painted in. Keep these light and uneven.

To finish the painting, I used a flat brush and some yellow paint to brush down from the clouds to give a sunny glow to the sunset. Use a light hand on this.

I painted this one in my small watercolor journal to get a feel for the colors. I like the results well enough to refine it for a larger painting! Dig out those paints and get started! Until next time.....

Happy Painting
Karen

Gallery at Main Street Exhibit

The exhibit was held on Friday and was a great way to meet some of the art community in the East Tennessee area. There were many talented artists showing their work in various media. The exhibit included oil and acrylic artists, as well as metal sculptors, wood carvers, textile artists and potters.

This was one of many exhibits planned for the first Friday of each month. This month the exhibit highlighted floral compositions and upcoming months will include landscapes, Tennessee themed work, and an exhibition of talented works created by some very gifted young artists.

Now, to get busy and create a new painting......

Happy Painting!
Karen

The Gallery at Main Street

The Gallery at Main Street will be exhibiting art by local artisans on June 1, 2012 at the gallery located in First Baptist Church, Knoxville, TN which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The address is 510 West Main Street, Knoxville, TN.

This month's exhibit is titled "Graced with Floral.". Exhibition hours are 10:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.

The painting above is one that I will have on display at the exhibition. The following is a link to the artists who will be exhibiting: http://www.galleryatmain.com./index.html

If you are in the area, stop and enjoy the exhibit!

Happy Painting!
Karen

A Special Painting of a Special Building!

The watercolor painting above is First Baptist Church Fisherville. I have been planning this painting as a surprise for our pastor there since we moved from that area last summer. I was given a photo CD with various shots of the church building, but when packing the CD for safe keeping during the move, I did too good of a job of packing it and it took me awhile to "find" it.

Often painting a building can be difficult simply because it does not allow for "artistic" interpretation, but for an accurate representation of the structure. However, there are aspects of the painting that allow for an artist's personality and style to show through. For instance in the painting above, the photo selected was one that emphasized the angles of the roof as well as the steeple. The steeple itself points heavenward and the top of the steeple is not seen in the painting which implies that it goes infinitely to heaven. The stained glass windows allowed me to show my Impressionistic painting style by implying shape and design rather than photo like detail.

Working from a photo is a great way to try one's hand at painting buildings....take several different photos from different angles and let your creativity show through.

Happy Painting!
Karen

Amapolas Roja (Red Poppies) - finished at last!

The poppies are finally finished! As you can tell from the painting above, I finished this painting. I completed the second poppy using the same techniques as the first one and then added a little greenery. I put only a small amount of greenery in this painting allowing the focus to remain on the colorful poppies. After a final review, I decided against doing any additional painting on the brick/tiles. Again, for the same reason.....I wanted the focus to remain on the poppies, not on the background.

The stems and leaves were painted using several shades of paint. I used green mixed with brown, blue, and yellow to achieve a variety of shades of green to show shadow and light. I used the brown/green for the stems, the deep green/blue for the shaded areas and the yellow/green for the green areas reflecting light.

I found some interesting facts about poppies to share (in case you are a fan of Trivia Pursuit):

-The California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is the state flower of California.
-In Mexico, Grupo Modelo, the makers of Corona beer, used red poppy flowers in most of its advertising images until the 1960s.
-A poppy flower is depicted on the reverse of the Macedonian 500 denars banknote, issued in 1996 and 2003. The poppy is also part of the coat of arms of the Republic of Macedonia.
-Poppies (Amapolas in Spanish) are commonly featured as the central flower in Puerto Rican weddings.
-Artificial poppies (called "Buddy Poppies") are used in the veterans' aid campaign by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which provides money to the veterans who assemble the poppies and various aid programs to veterans and their families.
-Canada issued special quarters (25-cent coins) with a red poppy on the reverse in 2004, 2008 and 2010. The 2004 Canadian "poppy" quarter was the world's first coloured circulation coin.
-Poppies are often symbolic and can symbolize the sleep and peace. This symbolism was evoked in the children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which a magical poppy field threatened to make the protagonists sleep forever.

Enough facts....pick up that paint brush and finish your painting! I'll see you in my next blog with another fun painting to create!

Happy Painting!
Karen