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March 24, 2018 at 3:47 pm #453458
A question for all you long time (or short time) watercolorists out there….
Has this ever happened to you? Suddenly you start doing the opposite of everything you’d been doing re: painting. Tubes –> pans. Natural brushes –> synthetic. Cold press –> hot press. Rag paper –> cheap paper. Pencil –>pen. Painting inside –> painting outside. Photos –> live subjects. Trying to paint “carefully” –> slingin’ it around.
I can’t really account for why I started doing the opposite in nearly every aspect of my painting practice except to say it happened when I came home from our last trip. It’s like I passed some mile marker on the road or changed trains. I’ve been burning through tons of paper and paint, trying to paint anything that will hold still long enough, which I know is a good thing no matter what reason might be.
Or do you think this is just another stage and I will eventually find my way back to the things I liked and used most often before?
March 24, 2018 at 4:01 pm #590471I used to hate half-pans, and suddenly find myself using them again. I only used Arches…then last week I ordered ten sheets of Waterford…and picked up a set of Black Velvet brushes and started using them instead of my sables. So…maybe it’s the time of the year…sort of mental spring cleaning?
Susan
March 24, 2018 at 4:04 pm #590467I think our individual watercolor journeys lead many of us in personal, sometimes unpredictable, directions.
Go for it and enjoy the ride!
sling paint,
VirgilSling paint,
Virgil Carter
http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/March 24, 2018 at 4:21 pm #590466So…maybe it’s the time of the year…sort of mental spring cleaning?
I love this idea and think it may be true. It’s like I am clearing out a bunch of old beliefs, assumptions, etc.
@Virgil… unpredictable directions? With watercolor? Nah!!! :0)
Its unpredictability is probably the most predictable thing about this insanely addictive form of painting.March 24, 2018 at 4:36 pm #590468Best part is you’re painting anything that can’t run away from you. Enjoy that!
I just got a Strathmore Toned Tan sketchbook and painted an owl in it last night. Painted. On completely unsized paper that was in no way intended for use with wet media, and using TiWhite to opacify the lighter colors (since I don’t have my gouache palette handy.) I was also using a Miller Pseudo-sable travel brush, the first non-waterbrush I have picked up in over a year.
In the same order that brought me the travel brush (very nice, I like it!) I also got a Khadi paperbound sketchbook. This is the ONLY watercolor sketchbook I’ve had that I didn’t bind myself. Haven’t tried it yet, wanted something for a themed book.
There’s something in the air for sure!
PS – Worked dry, the toned tan paper takes watercolor very well. :thumbsup:
CK =)
I take great comfort in knowing that my genuine typos will probably be blamed on some device's autocorrect.
DIY art supplies, sketches, and more: cyntada.com / @cyntadaMarch 24, 2018 at 6:28 pm #590473From this ‘short time,’ inexperienced watercolor painter, I think it’s good to shake things up a bit. Could be springtime, boredom, subconscious experimentation, whatever! My bit of rebellion is coming in the form of no sketching before painting–just going for it. For this ‘tight’ and controlled painter, I’m way out of my comfort zone, but…I’m enjoying the additional challenge. My first challenge—the uncontrollable watercolor ‘beast’ to begin with, as Janine referred to.
~Carol
'We are too prone to engrave our trials on marble, and write our blessings in sand.' ~ Spurgeon
C&C appreciatedMarch 24, 2018 at 7:50 pm #590463I think it adds interest to explore new and different things. Keeps a person from getting into a rut and getting bored. I take classes and they try different things.
March 24, 2018 at 9:19 pm #590474A few years ago I sketched traditionally to scratch out ideas for digital art.
Now, with 99% of my current work being done traditionally, I do studies in digital art programs to transfer to my watercolor paintings. I feel like sketching out entire compositions and doing value/color studies is just so fast in digital programs because of the variety of handy tools to edit your work with. If I want to plan out a “masterpiece” with regular ol’ paper and pencil, I’d have to re-draw the same thing multiple times, which is even more time-consuming, and changing up colors would require more effort than just clicking a button.
(That said, I still tend to avoid doing compositions digitally if I can. It just isn’t the same as tactile art!)
[FONT="Book Antiqua"]-ZoeyMarch 25, 2018 at 12:04 am #590465I have definitely gone through periods like that. I usually come back to my favorite ways, but with a fresher perspective and new ideas. It does feel weird, while you are in the middle of it, though. Maybe it is Spring, but something made me decided to buy a set of QoR. The only other time I purchased a set of anything was a Cotman Pocket Box, because I wanted the box. And this set is the High Chroma one, containing colours I never use. I am way out of my comfort zone, but happy. I know it won’t last, but when I get back to my standard palette, I will be refreshed and will probably have learned something from my time with QoR and what feels like trying to paint with an Easter Egg dye kit of colours, to me.
Noelle
March 25, 2018 at 8:24 am #590469Now, with 99% of my current work being done traditionally, I do studies in digital art programs to transfer to my watercolor paintings.
How do you transfer your digital work to paper, Latte? Do you print out parts and then use transfer paper or…? Because this is something I would really like to do for the same reason you give–that no redrawing is required if I want to change things. And it would be easy to resize and shift elements around.
https://www.haroldroth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/haroldrothart
https://www.facebook.com/haroldrothartistMarch 25, 2018 at 9:45 am #590472I have a Canon straight-pass printer and just run the watercolor paper through. I do make sure the lines are very thin and pale, however, as the inkjet in in this printer is water-soluble.
Susan
March 25, 2018 at 11:45 am #590475How do you transfer your digital work to paper, Latte? Do you print out parts and then use transfer paper or…? Because this is something I would really like to do for the same reason you give–that no redrawing is required if I want to change things. And it would be easy to resize and shift elements around.
Probably “transfer” isn’t the best word I could have used. I meant that for complicated compositions where I have to combine lots of different references and change colors and such, it’s just easier to plan it out digitally. I still re-draw it when I go to the painting. Unfortunately, I don’t the equipment to print out guidelines directly on watercolor paper!
[FONT="Book Antiqua"]-ZoeyMarch 26, 2018 at 5:56 am #590464/Enjoy the change
C&C WELCOMEDJan
March 28, 2018 at 2:10 pm #590470I used to do very careful, detailed pencil drawings before I started painting. Not just the ouline, but a full, completed pencil drawing. I finished one piece like this that I was really pleased with, a couple of years ago, and decided I just didn’t want to work like that anymore. Since then I’ve let colour do the work and I paint a lot of my detail freehand.
Kay D - Edinburgh, Scotland
So long, and thanks ...
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