Metro Riders, February

Metro riders, winter 2010. The Borders on the corner of our building downtown had both Moleskeins ($18.00) and this new sketchbook called a Piccadilly at $4.00. Hmmm, think I'll try the cheaper one, I thought. And even though the paper is thinner, and there is some bleed through with ink sketches, it feels so luxurious to not care much about how much paper you go through. I've been trying to do three or four sketches every ride, and the following posts are some that turned out well enough to post.

Metro Folks, February

The bottom one here is a quick gesture sketch, I really like the effect of a 30 second sketch.

Metro Folks February

People riding the Metro, winter 2010.

Metro Folks in February

My February Metro sketches, these are pencil.

Metro Sketching

I have a new job. It's a FT temporary job, and it happens in the heart of DC. So I'm a Metro girl again. It took me a good week carrying my sketchbook around with me, before I got up the nerve to take it out and do a sketch, but now it's like: "pshaw, not a problem." I can now do about 3 sketches per ride, that's maybe 6 a day. They don't all turn out, so I'll just be posting some of the better ones here.

People are cool. They may see I'm sketching, and they may even get that I'm sketching them, but I've only ever had one seatmate comment that she liked my work, and nobody else has said a word. People really just mind their own on the subway.

The first sketch? I thought it was a girl with earrings at first, until I realized it was earbuds I was seeing on a guy. He really was enjoying his tunes.

These are all done with various pens and pencils, ink and watercolors added afterwards, or not.

Sketching on the Metro

Sketching on the Metro.

You'll be seeing some more of these, as I have gotten up my nerve, and am practicing sketching people on the trips to and from downtown. I manage to get about three sketches in on a "good run." (5 or 6 a day) That would be where nobody gets off the train before I can finish them, and nobody sits down in front of me while I'm only half way through. It also depends on whether I don't mess up the proportions too bad. Trust me, there are lots of sketches that I'm not showing too.

Concept for a Painting

I don't always do as I teach, but when it's a large painting, I do feel that thumbnail sketches for layout and composition are highly in order. It gives you a map anyway. The painting will be a large canvas of 24" x 36", with a gallery wrap, so it's a big piece. I start with some small marker sketches, to figure out just what looks good, for the placement of the blooms. I like the three and three look, even though it's an even number. There may be room for a seventh blossom, depending on how large I make each bloom. I also like the diagonal format, it just has a nice feel to it, and the negative space is big enough to be a relief, small enough to not look like wasted space. I like the three sides running into the wrap, off the edges. I do a second, larger sketch using the thumbnail I've chosen. Next I'll add some watercolor.

Working Out a Painting Concept

The finished painting.

Once I have an idea of the layout, the placement of shapes, and where my light source will be, I add some color. These are done with watercolor pencil, and then just loose watercolor. I haven't exactly settled on the background color, but since the painting will go on a yellow wall, I am thinking a gradated color in warm light green and cream. I will keep the background quite neutral, but warm and soft, since there will be a lot of color in the blooms. Or I may decide when it's said and done to go to a muted mauve tone, which would be a complement to the yellow wall.

Another Saturday Life Drawing Session

Another Saturday morning session at Montgomery College. It takes the starch right out of me, it takes such concentrated effort. But oh, such good practice, those three hours. This is the same model as the first week, can you see improvement?

Life drawing

Last week we had the most elegant model, long and stately.

Lovely lines to draw.

Ahhhhh, Life Drawing!

One of the nice things about being back in the Maryland area is that I still have a few art connections. On Saturday mornings, at Montgomery College, there's a wonderful open life drawing session. The artists all chip in to pay the model, and yesterday we had a splendid model. It felt so good to be drawing again, even though I'm rusty and many of my proportions are off.

Tube Wringer

This is my favorite new toy. It's manufactured by the Gill company, and I got it from Dick Blick for around $20.00. Very well worth it. It's a metal clamping system for wringing all the paint out of each tube, and it works just great. I can hardly believe I've been painting for almost three years now without one. They are also available in plastic. The link is here: tube wringer
We'll put it in the category of great tools!

Art Books Sold

I've deleted all the posts about selling art books. Thanks to all of you who rescued books for me, they have all been sent out, and you should be getting them within the next week.

Thanks again!

Selling Acrylics

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and since I haven't been selling many paintings, this is the time. I hauled out all my acrylics, potions and mediums, and arranged them all for photos. And am now offering it all up on ebay. A great deal for anyone who happens to stop by this blog within the next few days. All these fun toys for cheap! here's the link:

acrylics auction

I've put shipping high, as this all will weigh a lot, I think: all those mediums and tubes and jars.

Thanks for stopping by. If you bid on all this stuff, good luck!

Water Miscible Oils

I've been experimenting with the water soluble oils a bit, since some of my students for the Beginners Online Oil Painting class will be using them. The apple and the bottom piece were done exclusively with the Artisan Oils (water soluble) by Winsor Newton, and the little diptych at the top of the post was done with a combination of the water soluble and the traditional oils.

The brochure for the starter set I got says that yes, indeed, you can combine these with traditional oil paints, substituting the special Thinner and Mediums for your normal OMS (Odorless Mineral Spirits) and whatever medium you normally use with your oils. I found the combination to be a bit difficult, my paints got tackier than normal. Or too slippery.

Here's what I've found so far:

I had to work harder to maintain my values with the water solubles. The paints seem to want to mix rather than lay on top of subsequent layers, as I'm used to.

The W.S. paints in the lighter colors seemed chalkier for some reason than my normal oils. Some of them were thick, some thinner out of the tube, but that's pretty standard for normal oils too. So that doesn't count really.

I will try some of the Duo Aquacolors by Holbein, which are supposed to be of better quality than the Artisans. I'll do another report when that happens.

I think that for people who can't tolerate the smells associated with traditional oils, these paints are a boon, and if you worked exclusively with them, you would get to know the capabilities better than by doing three little pieces. For that, I think they are wonderful. But I still prefer my oils, maybe since that's what I've gotten used to.

The final verdict is in the individual use. I think that if you try these and like them, then that's the proof in the pudding.

Of Interest

One of the EDM group members is gearing up to sell handmade sketchbooks that look pretty interesting. She now creates handmade journals and such that look to be both beautifully made and inviting to use. Her name is Janice Hook, and her artwork is also very nice. She is having a little competition on her blog for winning one of her handmade books, by way of market research into what kinds of sketchbooks people like. All you have to do is mention the size and style of sketchbook you like to use. Pretty cool way to find out what she'll want to market.

Good luck if you decide to enter.

Mommy, Scatch - Painting in Progress

Progress on the "Mommy, Scatch" painting. Probably the reason I don't do more faces, figures, people is that they are so hard, so time consuming. Little brush marks, little smidgens can make or break each small feature. I saw a bit of yellow in the little face, so added some, now it's too much, so I'll fix that tomorrow. I can also see now on the screen that my daughter has webbed pointer and middle finger, so I'll fix that as well. Tell me if you spot anything else.

Little Dreamer

Little Dreamer, Painting in Progress

Or I may call it, as I originally thought, "Mommy, Scatch" since that's what she says, and pulls up her shirt for her belly scratch. It helps to put it up, to see the flaws. It looks okay, but not like her, really. The nose? Maybe too long? Maybe too big for her little face? Hmmm. Do like the eyes, though, they came out good.

Mommy, Scatch

Mommy, Scatch will be a painting, and this is just the planning stage for the piece. My little grnaddaughter, Katie, loves to have her tummy scratched, and I caught her one day sitting dreaming in Mommy's lap, snapped a quick few photos. I hope I can do it justice.

Watercolor Layers

Watercolor Value Study in Layers.
There are several layers of color here to produce this silver grey color.
One: Alizarin, Cobalt, and Cad yellow medium
Two: Manganese Blue and Quni Sienna
Three: Alizarin and Pthalo Green