Pastels and Watercolors (and a few other art media)

[snowbear130 61]

Teaser. I put some paint to canvas this morning. This will be #2, the middle panel.

The paint is thin, almost an underpainting. The sky and water are ultramarine with titanium white. The shore is yellow ochre with a touch of cadmium yellow light. The background land is veridian with titanium and, in places, some cad yellow light and alizaron crimson.

I prefer to use cerulean as a base for the sky but the oils were purchased on a tight budget so it is a limited palette. I may get a tube, as well as a large tube of white. I'll let this dry for a couple days before I go back to it, hopefully with a couple new tubes of paint.

 

[terri49]

Teaser. I put some paint to canvas this morning. This will be #2, the middle panel.

The paint is thin, almost an underpainting. The sky and water are ultramarine with titanium white. The shore is yellow ochre with a touch of cadmium yellow light. The background land is veridian with titanium and, in places, some cad yellow light and alizaron crimson.

I prefer to use cerulean as a base for the sky but the oils were purchased on a tight budget so it is a limited palette. I may get a tube, as well as a large tube of white. I'll let this dry for a couple days before I go back to it, hopefully with a couple new tubes of paint.

View attachment 300989

You're off to a great start! Plenty here to start building on. The palette is intriguing, even if limited. You have earned that tube of cerulean blue!

 

[snowbear130 61]

Thanks.

The set I got has Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson (warm & cool), Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light (warm & cool), Ultramarine Blue (warm), Viridian Green (cool), Burnt Umber (warm), Ivory Black, and Titanium White, all 37ml / 1.25 oz tubes. I want to add a cooler blue and a warner green so I'll get a cerulean and an olive green. I may also get a larger tube (250ml / 5 oz) of white and black.

I have a birthday coming up, so I should be able to get to Portland where there are a couple art supply stores. Michaels web site carries the Gamblin but I'm not sure it's in the store -- I can check this week. Otherwise, I'll go with the diluted white + ultra for the other two panels and switch over to cerulean when I do the top layers.

 

[SquarePeg49 3]

This is exciting! These sketches look great and should get you going.

For awhile I was coating my paper with a cheap burnt sienna (or similar) oil pastel so I could then dissolve it with Turpenoid, for a quick and easy underpaint color. It was usually better than leaving the paper alone and getting annoyed with the white peeking through.

But that's with OP's on heavy paper. Will you be painting with acrylics?

No, I'm going with oils, after many years not touching them. I bought a set back in the early spring and have been waiting for a chance to use them.

I got tied up with trimming a tree branch, pulling something out of the back of the garage, and making a flagpole for the truck. I'll paint tomorrow. I'll leave the canvas white; maybe try tinting it the next go-around.

Can’t wait to see your progress with these. That’s a lot of water in the foreground of the lake photo. You going to use that same horizon line? Be sure to take some WIP photos. I always forget to do that!

I like to start off with a light wash of either an orange or a yellow when doing a landscape. I feel like it gives it a certain glow in places where I either don’t end up putting any paint or use a semi transparent color. Not sure if that method translates well with oils.

Starting a new class at the MFA in October - it’s an Abstracts class but with this instructor you can paint whatever you want - it’s basically studio time with guidance. I’ve painted some of my favorites with his help and suggestions. I’m planning to focus on abstract landscapes and abstract florals.

 

[snowbear130 61]

Can’t wait to see your progress with these. That’s a lot of water in the foreground of the lake photo. You going to use that same horizon line? Be sure to take some WIP photos. I always forget to do that!

I like to start off with a light wash of either an orange or a yellow when doing a landscape. I feel like it gives it a certain glow in places where I either don’t end up putting any paint or use a semi transparent color. Not sure if that method translates well with oils.

Starting a new class at the MFA in October - it’s an Abstracts class but with this instructor you can paint whatever you want - it’s basically studio time with guidance. I’ve painted some of my favorites with his help and suggestions. I’m planning to focus on abstract landscapes and abstract florals.

The photos are more inspiration than reference. The proportions and land shapes won't match up precisely. When I shoot the pano's, I stand near the edge of the water and don't capture the shore line. I'm putting it in the painting. I'm also adding waterfowl and probably a boat. I'm not set on the houses, yet; maybe I'll put in a few of them. No cell tower, though! I will be doing WIPs.

I set up a base wash of yellow ochre and mineral spirits (using some water-soluble oils gifted by Lazy Lobster, but I got it too diluted. I'll try to get that sorted out and use it for the next project.

My process, so far: very lightly put in outlines for shore, water horizon, and landmass. Go over those with thinned paint, then come back and block in the areas with thinned paint. You might be able to see where it ran down the canvas a little. I'll come back in a few days (let it mostly dry) and come in with the main layers. I'll keep the paint thinned, but not as much.

The abstracts class sounds interesting. I can't wait to see some of the results.

---

I'm going to order the three paint tubes and a bottle of alkyd medium (thins and speeds drying time). MLW says ordering is much safer than going to the B&M store.

I plan to block in the other two panels today.

 

[snowbear130 61]

The other two panels are sketched in and underpainted. I did make a mistake and only allowed for the loon and not the other ducks and/or boat. I'm sure I can come back and put them in when I start the next layer (real painting). I didn't take a shot of the underpainting on panel 1 except the loons.

Panel 1 with sketched in sky, water, and land.


Panel 1 with loons (underpainting). You can see the blue running because it is like water.


Panel 3, unterpainting.


Panels lines up. Only the second is underpainted.

 

[terri49]

The other two panels are sketched in and underpainted. I did make a mistake and only allowed for the loon and not the other ducks and/or boat. I'm sure I can come back and put them in when I start the next layer (real painting). I didn't take a shot of the underpainting on panel 1 except the loons.

Panel 1 with sketched in sky, water, and land.
View attachment 301047

Panel 1 with loons (underpainting). You can see the blue running because it is like water.
View attachment 301049

Panel 3, unterpainting.
View attachment 301048

Panels lines up. Only the second is underpainted.
View attachment 301046

This is progress! It looks so good and will make a terrific triptych. You're up for the challenge!

Starting a new class at the MFA in October - it’s an Abstracts class but with this instructor you can paint whatever you want - it’s basically studio time with guidance.

This sounds great! I remember you liking this particular instructor so taking another class where you can do what you want should be a blast.

I keep checking the local art studio classes near me for something similar. Most of them are geared towards kids or, even worse, the old "girls night out" kind of vibe. I've had a couple classes at another one and it's okay - I'm done with the ones that interest me, and can't help that I don't want to learn oils or watercolor.

Now that the weather is cool, Im thinking about starting another oil pastel piece, with a sketch of an idea. Nothing serious because I'm so out of practice.

 

[SquarePeg49 3]

This is progress! It looks so good and will make a terrific triptych. You're up for the challenge!


This sounds great! I remember you liking this particular instructor so taking another class where you can do what you want should be a blast.

I keep checking the local art studio classes near me for something similar. Most of them are geared towards kids or, even worse, the old "girls night out" kind of vibe. I've had a couple classes at another one and it's okay - I'm done with the ones that interest me, and can't help that I don't want to learn oils or watercolor.

Now that the weather is cool, Im thinking about starting another oil pastel piece, with a sketch of an idea. Nothing serious because I'm so out of practice.

The Boston MFA does offer online classes. Maybe we can find one that all 3 of us are interested in for the winter or spring session.

 

[terri49]

The Boston MFA does offer online classes. Maybe we can find one that all 3 of us are interested in for the winter or spring session.

Does the Brilliant" reaction smiley look normal for you? There are a few that recently show up as text only, it's odd.

 

[snowbear130 61]

Looks normal to me.

I get that once in a while, but I tend to toggle on tags when I'm setting up the POTM voting and don't always toggle back off.

 

[snowbear130 61]

I haven’t used oil in so long I keep wanting to thin it to the consistency of watercolors! I put down some thicker paint for the water, and stayed a layer for the loons. I’ll come back with the white spots and red eyes after the black dries. I’ll also mix up a very light blue to wash over the water. The real stuff is a bit green in summer but I want it more blue.

Working on three connected panels is a challenge. I’m going to have to mix up a lot more paint since I’m working on all three at the same time.

I made an error in sketching and underpainting: I cut off the land on the left side of the middle panel. I put in the correct line with charcoal and will fix it when I do the sky.

I still haven’t decided if I want to add a boat or some more birds on the right panel.

 

[terri49]

I haven’t used oil in so long I keep wanting to thin it to the consistency of watercolors! I put down some thicker paint for the water, and stayed a layer for the loons. I’ll come back with the white spots and red eyes after the black dries. I’ll also mix up a very light blue to wash over the water. The real stuff is a bit green in summer but I want it more blue.

Working on three connected panels is a challenge. I’m going to have to mix up a lot more paint since I’m working on all three at the same time.

I made an error in sketching and underpainting: I cut off the land on the left side of the middle panel. I put in the correct line with charcoal and will fix it when I do the sky.

I still haven’t decided if I want to add a boat or some more birds on the right panel.

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View attachment 301513

View attachment 301512

View attachment 301515

This is coming along nicely!

I still haven’t decided if I want to add a boat or some more birds on the right panel.

Hmm, there's definitely some room for another element. Would you want something moving out of the canvas, or coming into the scene? Decisions, decisions....

haven’t used oil in so long I keep wanting to thin it to the consistency of watercolors!

 

[snowbear130 61]

Hmm, there's definitely some room for another element. Would you want something moving out of the canvas, or coming into the scene? Decisions, decisions....

I'm thinking about, maybe three kayaks: two on one panel and one on the other. I can make paper cutouts to mock it up, I guess.

 

[terri49]

I'm thinking about, maybe three kayaks: two on one panel and one on the other. I can make paper cutouts to mock it up, I guess.

Picasso did that; you're following greatness!

 

[IpseLux9 8]

Different media, but seeing this thread brought back memories of my attempts at painting. It was a very therapeutic endeavor, at least for me.
This is a small work, an imaginary landscape, bit of a modern thing....
Hope you don't mind my posting it.
Acrylic. I always think of a heard of buffalo when I see it.... Strange, huh?
Kind regards.