Less scary than skydiving, and the fun lasts longer!
I'm really new to this blogging thing; my semicolons are still wet behind the ears. You can help me out with some feedback. For example, you could let me know which of my blog categories is your favourite by leaving 'comments' on my blog under this entry. Any other comments or suggestions are most welcome too.
I don't invest in expensive palettes. I'm very happy with a piece of white cardboard that has been covered with wax paper. Two gobs of that sticky stuff that they use to hold posters onto the wall, placed on the back of the cardboard, holds the wax paper in place. The disadvantage is, you can't judge the value (how light or dark a colour is) by pulling it out over the palette with your brush. It beads up. This is not an issue when using thicker acrylic paint or oils - only for watercolour or fluid acrylics. My workaround is to have a scrap piece of watercolour paper nearby to try the colour on before putting it onto the painting. When my palette gets too messed up to work with any longer, I simply peel off the wax paper, throw it out, and put a fresh piece on. With this method, I never have to wash a palette!
Here's the link to another contemporary artist whose paintings I really love. Much of his work falls into the category that I would call 'line and wash' - wonderful free flowing colour and lines that skip about playfully. The thumbnails on the gallery page are small, so you will need to click on them to enlarge and appreciate his work. John Lovett's website gallery (Find the link on my website blog, if you are reading this on facebook or elsewhere.)
His work is very interesting.I like how he took a simple shoe and painted it.
Thanks for bringing his work to our attention... do like his style.
I lovett John Lovett. Looks so easy until you try to work through one of his paintings.
I have purchased a few of his 10 minute videos from Internation Artist Magazine. In those, he uses a rigger brush for the majority of the lines. He also uses some ink (acrylic ink is my best guess) put on with a dip pen. When using the ink, he is fond of spraying the lines immediately with water to cause the lines to break up. The lines are mostly put on near the end of the painting. Hope that is helpful, Kathie.
I really admire Lovett's style! So loose, and free. What does he use for his line work? Permanent pen wouldn't run and bleed like his does, and non-permanent would not be archival. Is it just rigger brush work? And does he do it before or after the washes?
"It's what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it." Oscar Wilde
- Read any good books lately; art or otherwise? (Thanks @GreatestQuotes)
Just finished Wayne Johnson's "A World Elsewhere" (historical fiction - a good read with an odd ending), Pascal Mercier's "Night Train to Lisbon" (a very heavy dense read. Not recommended), and Lynn Coadys "The Antagonists" (mildly lighter - an interesting read).
Ken Follet's books are awesome! On the lighter side, I just finshed The Other Boelyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory.
I was pretty new into art. A trip to the Toronto zoo had resulted in a small pile of reference photographs. I had been working hard on a watercolour painting of an iguana. Green scales, beady eyes, muscular biceps - but for some illusive reason I just could not get it to be a painting that I liked. I changed shapes, and colours, and lines but still I was frustrated. I put it aside for a day, came back and pondered my painting technique - still no inspiration. Then the light went on! I simply don't like iguanas. Lesson learned? Don't be lazy about choosing your reference. Make sure you really like that photo if you are going to paint from it.
I'm not too terribly worried about the iguanas; it's the Komodo Dragons that really get to me. Cheers, Jack.
Great tip! Unfortunately for me, I learned this the hard way.
Good advice Cheryl! That does help me understand why I haven't liked some of my paintings. If I follow your advice it will save me hours of bewildering frustration!
In this video, I demonstrate one of my favourite 'wet and wild' techniques. Thank you to everyone who voted! I am now one of 4 finalists whose videos will be juried at the end of June - one will win a trip to Italy!
I enjoy all of them however my favourites are "Outside the Box" and "Creativity" - they make you think!
When I read your blogs daily, I don't even think of which category I'm most interested in! I enjoy them all. I read every one! I think you are wise to keep them fairly short, or we busy folks might not read right to the end........
I do think the categories are a good idea in case I wanted to look something up that you had said.
I'm sure stumped on the faamous painting contest this month.......
Hi Cheryl. I've been enjoying the variety of subjects and comments. I think my favourite categories are Creativity and Art Links. Perhaps being 'responders to blogs' is new to many as well. It's a learning curve for me!