Pastels and Watercolors (and a few other art media)

[SquarePeg]

I love stuff like this, too! You did a nice job with it, I like your palette. Looks like it was a fun exercise.

It's funny, I just finished something similar this evening. I like to take pictures in daylight, so I will post mine tomorrow.

Can’t wait to see it!

 

[terri]

Here is my attempt at a semi-graphic style of self portrait, with oil pastels. Added my actual facial elements like the widow's peak, uneven eyebrows, eye color - and then just kind of went nutty. I like bold graphic colors but I also really like those softer ones in the watercolor up there, too. More to think about.

As long as I'm not going for realism, I'm good. This was done on a paper @snowbear once mentioned: the Strathmore Bristol vellum, which is very sturdy with a light texture. I've used it a few times now and I like it. Cheaper than the Arches oil paper, though it doesn't blend OP's as well IMO.

 

[SquarePeg]

Love it! It has a Greek goddess vibe.

Do you have Ocean State Job Lot in Georgia? They frequently carry Strathmore paper super cheap!

 

[terri]

Thanks! You've mentioned this store before but I've never seen one here. Wonder if they are online? I should check that out.

 

[snowbear]

Wonderful job, Terri.

 

[terri]

Wonderful job, Terri.

Thank you, Charlie! I like working this way.

 

[waday]

Love the portraits!!

I’m doing a portrait (orientation) of Falling Water. I had an idea for this as a watercolor, so I sketched it out. And.... I just can’t seem to actually do the watercolor part. I’ve literally been sitting on this for like 4 days and every time I get the watercolors set up, I chicken out.

 

[Space Face]

I wish I had an artistic bone in my body.

 

[limr]

Love the portraits!!

I’m doing a portrait (orientation) of Falling Water. I had an idea for this as a watercolor, so I sketched it out. And.... I just can’t seem to actually do the watercolor part. I’ve literally been sitting on this for like 4 days and every time I get the watercolors set up, I chicken out.

View attachment 194707

Looooooove Fallingwater. I've been there several times - living in Pittsburgh for 4 years made it easy We used to bring our ESL students up for field trips.

 

[waday]

Love the portraits!!

I’m doing a portrait (orientation) of Falling Water. I had an idea for this as a watercolor, so I sketched it out. And.... I just can’t seem to actually do the watercolor part. I’ve literally been sitting on this for like 4 days and every time I get the watercolors set up, I chicken out.

View attachment 194707

Looooooove Fallingwater. I've been there several times - living in Pittsburgh for 4 years made it easy We used to bring our ESL students up for field trips.

Love that so much! Where were you at? We know a film/art professor at Dusquesne.

We visited Pittsburgh a few years ago (stayed at said professor's place while they were on vacation) and have been dying to go back (to Pittsburgh AND Fallingwater).

But, I have a funny story involving dialects. We had just finished our tour at Fallingwater, and we wanted to grab something to eat. So, we get in the car and can't really find anything on our phones, but figure the closest town would have something: Ohiopyle. I should be ashamed as a PA native, but I had never realized that Ohiopyle was such a large and crowded attraction. We quickly realize that there is literally no parking (even on the side streets, grassy areas, etc.) and everywhere is just PACKED. So, we turn around, and start driving back to where we're staying. Down the road a bit, there's a sign mentioning a llama farm and yarn gift shop. My wife being the knitter is overjoyed, so we stop, realize it's just some random house, and before we can turn around, a woman comes out and tells us she'll "get the key to the shed". Her husband walks over, starts talking to us, and I think both of our mouths dropped open.

I have never heard such a heavy dialect in my life. My grandmother's family had an Appalachian accent from Virginia, so I recognized it as some form of Appalachian English. The only thing I picked out was the word "Ohiopyle", then understood he asked if we went to Ohiopyle. I said we went to Fallingwater and were looking for a place to eat, and now wanted to avoid Ohiopyle. He told me to avoid Ohiopyle and try a place down the road a bit. My wife later said she had no idea what we were talking about, haha. The place he told us to go was really for locals only, and we stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone was staring at us, and while they were nice, we definitely felt out of place.

 

[Mike Drone]

Awesome works of art. I do love water as well. Great job artist =]

 

[SquarePeg]

@waday go with your gut on that sketch. If you don’t want to risk ruining it with wc maybe you can trace it into another sheet and paint that using the sketch as your guide.

 

[terri]

Agreed; trace it and transfer it to another sheet of paper so you'll have a backup. Do you know the trick using soft graphite to transfer? It's helped me before when I like a sketch and am afraid I'll ruin it.

Colored pencils, maybe? I get that Falling water (always loved it, never been there) sounds like a natural for watercolor, but there's a lot of detail in your sketch. Might be easier to handle with another medium.

You should try oil pastels sometime. Just saying.

 

[waday]

I don’t know... @terri and @SquarePeg, it sounds like you’re challenging me to do this in watercolor, LOL

 

[SquarePeg]

Well unless your scared...