Pastels and Watercolors (and a few other art media)

terri · Jun 9, 2020

Another sketched face in graphite and colored pencils. The colored pencils just don't erase well enough for a crappy sketcher like me. I'm probably going to stick with graphite pencils. They erase well enough, and if I think I'm going to paint over them, I can use a workable fixative spray to cover. I started out doing that, then broke away while experimenting with other sketching media.

Here's the new face:

A couple of work-in-progress pics. I did the background first so I could just roll the oil pastels over it later.

Started getting really messy here.

Finished:

I like this one better than the other one, not quite as delicate. I hadn't tried jewelry and changed it a couple times. I want to get away from the hats for awhile. Anyway, this one was fun to do - no attempt at realism from me! :lol:

SquarePeg · Jun 9, 2020

Very cool Terri. I like the hats, it’s sort of your trademark!

SquarePeg · Jun 9, 2020

Painted this last night after looking at some lupine photos online trying to plan “The Great Lupine Chase” for tomorrow. Heading out at 1am to drive up to NH mountains for sunrise at a lupine field. This painting is, IMO, too in the middle. Not loose enough to be loose and not detailed enough to be realism. I actually liked the Instagram crop the best since I messed up the bottom.

terri · Jun 9, 2020

This is cool, I like all these vertical lines. Pretty palette, too, with your yellow sky. I don't think you messed up the bottom at all.

You're heading out at 1 am? ! Now that's dedication for a sunrise shoot! Hope the weather and the flowers cooperate with you!

Now that you're painting, remember that all photos can be used as references, if they don't come out the way you want. :winksexy:

SquarePeg · Jun 9, 2020

terri said:
This is cool, I like all these vertical lines. Pretty palette, too, with your yellow sky. I don't think you messed up the bottom at all.

You're heading out at 1 am? ! Now that's dedication for a sunrise shoot! Hope the weather and the flowers cooperate with you!

Now that you're painting, remember that all photos can be used as references, if they don't come out the way you want.

Lately when I pick up my camera I am thinking more about how I would want to paint something than how to get the photo I want.

waday · Jun 10, 2020

terri said:
Another sketched face in graphite and colored pencils. The colored pencils just don't erase well enough for a crappy sketcher like me. I'm probably going to stick with graphite pencils. They erase well enough, and if I think I'm going to paint over them, I can use a workable fixative spray to cover. I started out doing that, then broke away while experimenting with other sketching media.

Here's the new face:

View attachment 192842

A couple of work-in-progress pics. I did the background first so I could just roll the oil pastels over it later.

View attachment 192843

Started getting really messy here.

View attachment 192844

Finished:

View attachment 192845

I like this one better than the other one, not quite as delicate. I hadn't tried jewelry and changed it a couple times. I want to get away from the hats for awhile. Anyway, this one was fun to do - no attempt at realism from me!

I agree with Sharon, that hat is awesome. I love the shading

terri · Jun 10, 2020

SquarePeg said:
Lately when I pick up my camera I am thinking more about how I would want to paint something than how to get the photo I want.

This is how it starts.

waday · Jun 10, 2020

Tried my own art with colored pencils, rather than my daughter’s coloring book. Lol

It’s supposed to be a neon sign at night.

Neon Sign by Wade, on Flickr

terri · Jun 10, 2020

What a great sign! I bet that was fun to sketch out. The scaffold looks like Star Trek communicators. :lol:

Love it!

I see the glowing effect around it, and reflection in the foreground. Quite fabulous. :1247:

The only thing I'd be tempted to do would be darkening the sky a bit more, to make it pop. Purple and black make a great sky combo. Yay!

waday · Jun 10, 2020

terri said:
What a great sign! I bet that was fun to sketch out. The scaffold looks like Star Trek communicators. Love it!

I see the glowing effect around it, and reflection in the foreground. Quite fabulous. The only thing I'd be tempted to do would be darkening the sky a bit more, to make it pop. Purple and black make a great sky combo. Yay!

Thanks! I’ll darken it tonight to see how it looks and will repost.

snowbear · Jun 10, 2020

Last night's dessert.

waday · Jun 10, 2020

terri said:
The only thing I'd be tempted to do would be darkening the sky a bit more, to make it pop.

You’re so right, it looks great with a darker sky. I also found a blending pencil and went wild.

Neon Sign 2 by Wade, on Flickr

ETA: and now I see spots that need fixed... I’m done, tell me I’m done lol

waday · Jun 10, 2020

snowbear said:
Last night's dessert.

View attachment 192880

That looks delicious!

So does the watermelon!

limr · Jun 10, 2020

I've tried flowers a few more times and am starting to feel like the ones that came out looking good are just beginner's luck :icon_sad:

So I am just going back to sort of doodling to figure out what the paint does, and what style I'm trying to achieve. I know I am not going for any kind of realism, but I'm still working out what I am going for. I love the loose, delicate look of the water colors, and simple shapes, and am looking for tutorials on how to achieve that without it looking like I'm a 5-year-old finger painting :lol:

(And yes, I make notes to myself on my doodle pages.)

limr · Jun 10, 2020

A few more doodle pages. I have an emulsion lift of stained glass doors and I wanted to practice shapes, so I used it as a model. The really crappy attempts were me realizing that I'm not good at copying, and then trying to work instead on interpreting.