Pastels and Watercolors (and a few other art media)

[terri]

My latest masterpiece. Based mostly on a wonderful piece by Anastasia Lily.

Is it a waterfall? Is it a river? Is it a path? Is it the Southwest? Is it the Pine Tree State? I couldn’t decide. And it shows.

Seriously though, I struggle most with two things in almost every landscape painting I attempt; defining the banks of a stream and preserving the whites. In this case I started out going for the sparkling white stream in AL’s painting only to screw bit up so I sprayed it into a waterfall but that didn’t fit with the rest of the scene so I started making it into a path then changed it back to a stream and here we are.

This type of atmospheric landscape was super fun to pain though. Lots of spritzing and scratching and splattering. I’ll definitely use this method again. I’m already thinking what I can do differently.

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Well, I think it's colorful and almost magical in appearance and mood. If you hadn't typed in the backstory I would have taken this as mist or fog in a field. And I'm fine with that! Love the colors.

It's great that you had fun with the process and have a plan for a new one. In that regard, this is a success!

 

[smoke665]

Is it a waterfall? Is it a river? Is it a path? Is it the Southwest? Is it the Pine Tree State? I couldn’t decide. And it shows.

Most masterpieces are the accidental result of trial and error.

 

[SquarePeg]

Well, I think it's colorful and almost magical in appearance and mood. If you hadn't typed in the backstory I would have taken this as mist or fog in a field. And I'm fine with that! Love the colors.

It's great that you had fun with the process and have a plan for a new one. In that regard, this is a success!

Thanks for that! Yes, I guess on its own without my commentary it’s colorful and fun. I tend to fall into that amateurish middle ground of too much detail to be loose but not enough to be good. I prefer the looser styles and will keep working toward that. I think I need to figure out how to paint loosely but deliberately and learn when to stop.

 

[smoke665]

think I need to figure out how to paint loosely but deliberately and learn when to stop.

Wine will help with "loose", but the quantity consumed has a huge bearing on the last two.

 

[snowbear]

It's a fusion of landscape and abstract. Love it!

 

[terri]

I tend to fall into that amateurish middle ground of too much detail to be loose but not enough to be good. I prefer the looser styles and will keep working toward that. I think I need to figure out how to paint loosely but deliberately and learn when to stop.

Same here! Try as I might, I'm just not a loose painter - the tightness, big color blocks, my tendency to outline, etc - it just comes out. If I followed a tutorial maybe I could break some of my habits. But then, there's the argument of being true to your own style and just keep working, to see if you evolve towards something over time, naturally.

Dunno. You'd think we'd be naturals to gravitate towards styles we really like, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

 

[SquarePeg]

Same here! Try as I might, I'm just not a loose painter - the tightness, big color blocks, my tendency to outline, etc - it just comes out. If I followed a tutorial maybe I could break some of my habits. But then, there's the argument of being true to your own style and just keep working, to see if you evolve towards something over time, naturally.

Dunno. You'd think we'd be naturals to gravitate towards styles we really like, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

Agree! maybe I should paint without Mary glasses on!

 

[SquarePeg]

Obsessed. With Daniel Smith Moonglow. I’m in love. This isn’t fully dry, and maybe not even finished but I just love the color. Mostly moonglow and a drop of burnt sienna in the mountains w a touch of pthalo blue. Figured I’d try again with the free flow waterfall. Better this time I think. When it dries I need to lift some of the white guauche in the bottom of the falls. I’m planning to paint at least one thing per day for the next 30 days to see if there is noticeable improvement.

 

[terri]

Obsessed. With Daniel Smith Moonglow. I’m in love. This isn’t fully dry, and maybe not even finished but I just love the color. Mostly moonglow and a drop of burnt sienna in the mountains w a touch of pthalo blue. Figured I’d try again with the free flow waterfall. Better this time I think. When it dries I need to lift some of the white guauche in the bottom of the falls. I’m planning to paint at least one thing per day for the next 30 days to see if there is noticeable improvement.

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I've not heard of this brand. You mentioned gouache, is this a blend of some kind? The colors here are really lovely!

 

[SquarePeg]

Moonglow is a color from Daniel Smith watercolors. It’s a blend of a few different colors and a bit granular so it changes a lot based on how much paint is in the mix. It has a great sheen. It’s the main color used in the mountains that has that purpley tint. It’s used a lot as a mix to create shadows from what I’ve read.

The white is what I meant by guauche but I’m not sure if it’s even actually considered gauche - I use Dr PH Martin’s bleed proof white. Not sure how to classify that.

 

[SquarePeg]

 

[snowbear]

Daniel Smith? Welcome to the dark side, Sharon.
Moonglow is on the wish list, and after seeing this, now in the cart.

Terri - those are the watercolors that I have been getting - both half pans and tubes.

 

[SquarePeg]

Daniel Smith? Welcome to the dark side, Sharon.
Moonglow is on the wish list, and after seeing this, now in the cart.

Terri - those are the watercolors that I have been getting - both half pans and tubes.

Yeah, the DS can be pricey! Definitely the dark side of my art journey is the surprise at how expensive everything is!!! But I’ve found that Blicks has them at a much better price than Amazon or Michael’s. I like the W&N Cotmans just fine for most things but if the price is close I’m going for the W&N or DS artist grade as I run out of the colors I use most. I don’t have a preference between W&N and DS. Do you?

Same with paper. I’ve been trying different cheaper brands but none compare to Arches so will just have to keep looking and keep an eye out for sales. I’ve got some Baohong paper and some Fabriano on the way but shipment was delayed. Have you tried either brand?

 

[snowbear]

I have some Fabriano that was just delivered but haven't tried it yet.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Gouache is opaque white. Not sure if it's thicker but maybe... not transparent like watercolors. (I don't know if Dr. Martin's bleed proof is a type of gouache or not.)

I've heard of Fabriano, but not Baohong. Daniel Smith I've always heard was good, and Charlie, you're going to get me buying some! Even though I already have a small size pan of Winsor Newton... And plenty of paper, certainly for drawing, but what a shame if I don't have much for watercolor and have to buy some!!

You people are going to get me doing some watercolors!! lol I've been doing drawing, have at least 5 sets of different type color pencils, one of watercolor pencils which I haven't even used yet!! lol In a class we had to do a drawing using only 3 colors! and Terri - no outlining!! That class challenged me.

I don't quite get the loose term. To me it's more freeflowing, spontaneous. Which isn't really my style but one that can be effective. Reminds me of a recent trend in so called 'big stitch' quilting. Basically bypasses or combines quilting layers together and surface design embroidery. Not my thing, but I suppose quicker which can be appealing to people. I've seen it done well and I've seen it look like an excure for sloppy workmanship. Depends on how it's done.