In the past few days I have been able to work a bit more; fine tuning the details. I still want to recess the background some. 7/27/13.
This is how far I was able to paint. I really enjoy the lace and the material is moving. It’s pretty cool to see my growth as an artist since the first time I painted; better known as my first watercolor. Just the skill level alone……awwww right!
I want to share a few thoughts with you about drawing and painting. If you are becoming frustrated with your painting skills and it seems like you can paint to a certain point, but you know something is wrong? Something just doesn’t look right or you wish you just knew how to proceed and improve your skills. This is why you are frustrated, you do not have a solid foundation to work off of. Remember: VERY IMPORTANT; also draw in the direction of the form. Once you are a master of drawing then you may shade in opposite and various directions. Once you completely understand drawing and your skills can hold their own and understand form and shapes {how to bring them to realism} then painting will be easier and you wont be as frustrated. Trust me with this.*********
***********TRUST ME::::::::once you learn to draw and control value and use the warm and cool tones to your advantage the painting and form will be easier. Always draw in the direction of the form or shape of the objects you are drawing. I will be adding video demos in the next few weeks which will help.
I suggest and recommend you go back to learn the basics and fundamentals in drawing. Drawing 101…….I have several post regarding drawing and improving your skills, in the search tab in the menu. Also, in the menu there are tabs regarding drawing and papers.
Start with re-learning the values in graphite; the H graphite pencils, [warm tone] and B graphite pencils [cool tone]. Make a value scale from one to ten; the first block is just paper white and the tenth block is the darkest you can get the block. Number five is middle tone; therefore number two block light until block five and block six to ten shaded in gradual increments.as seen in the graph. Learn what each pencil can do for you. Notice the hardness and softness of the graphite. H’s are hard and B’s are soft.
Then work on perfecting a sphere. Use a 4H to begin, once drawn well, then add a 2B to the core, the darkest part.
Check this picture out; I went outside for a moment to notice that a neighbor’s house about 300 yards away had a fern by her mailbox lite by the setting sun. Really beautiful.
Please don’t steal my artwork. You may refer to my page and give credit.
Thank you for the kind words and awesome comments!
I have a post somewhere on my blog regarding entering juried shows. It is not as hard as you may think; not anymore since digital land. Juried shows can cost anywhere from an average of $9.00 to 30-40 dollars an entry. Usually if you enter two – three entries it may be around $75 to enter. Most show I have seen lately you enter a digital image at a certain size of usually 1000 or a bit more pixels. The rules on the show page will have a required size in the rules. Follow the guide to what they want. You will need a credit card to enter and pay for your image[s]. Follow the directions. When entering I like to enter at least two paintings for the reason the judges see my range of style and control of watercolor. Entering one piece is good when your artwork is spot on and hits the high mark being able to stand strong solo in composition and all the elements. Some artwork needs to be seen in a series of three if the subject matter is similar in content and similar compositions. If there is not a strong compositional range in the work, then I like to enter three images of close subject matter. For example; say you paint flowers up close in a size 9 x 12. One painting or drawing is not strong enough or large enough to stand alone. Not every case, but for the most part. It leaves the viewer or judge thinking it just can’t make the cut because it needs just a bit more to take it to the next level. But, when you put three paintings together similar in content they enhance each other in content and become a strong entry. It is usually three or five in a series. After five it’s time to move on and expand your artwork to something else so you’re not repetitive.
When taking your best picture I photograph outside under my porch. I have true natural light with no cast shadows. The natural light is usually crisp and I get a true color read. NEVER photo shop your imagines…..you will be disqualified. If you make the first cut you may be asked to physically bring your artwork to place where your work will be displayed and judged. Some shows they judge solely on the digital images. Find a show that fits your artwork and go for it!
Here is a list of a few magazines that list shows and on their sites there will be a listing in the competition menu or event menu. You can find these magazines at Barnes and Noble bookstore or another bookstore in your town.
www.artistdaily.com, www.artistmagazine.com, www.watercolorartistmagazine.com, www.baltmorewatercolorsociety.org.
American Artist Magazine, American Artist drawing, Watercolor Artist, The artist magazine,and International artist.
Prismacolor.com also has a gallery to display your artwork, sign on and create your artwork gallery. You can look at other artist as well and share tips and recieve feedback too.
I knew when I started to draw this times three this was going to be “One of those” pieces! Very frustrating composition….maybe it’s my summer so far? Hot and humid as anything outside and just crappy weather. I wanted to paint a few landscape watercolor paintings this summer outside, but It is really hard to enjoy the day in the blazing heat. Anyway…could be 100 inches of snow.
Saturday; I need to draw up some lessons plans on how to Follow the form 101 for an artist friend of mine and I will post them. Maybe they will help some whom need drawing advice regarding realism. I will post these by Wednesday.
I had a chance to work a bit more, but I made the man’s head too small. So, now I need to figure out how to make the head larger on established wc. I can do it, “I mmm skilled” lol… Tip: when working realism use one color for the flesh tone; Burnt Umber is a nice base for flesh tone. Watercolor realism is about layers. FOLLOW THE FORM. Paint in the direction of a shape or form. All the tones so far on the people are a base of Burnt Umber. After the forms are in then I will start to add washes of pinks, crimsons. Paint your people with the base color first. Every layer added even with the same base will add increased color to the form or shape; every layer adds to the depth of color. There are NO LINES on a face; they are creases, hills and vallies. In my old set I don’t have fancy colors, I am trained “Old school”. Make your own shades and colors. “Learn how to paint with less” Mr. Sorrels would say. If you need a richer brown add a bit of Vandyke brown. If your portrait needs more of an olive skin type add a bit Raw Umber; found in Fancy sets. I was taught the less you have in a paint selection the better you will learn to mix color! It is true. Today there are too many colors, shades of color, hues of colors and you don’t learn how to mix colors on your own! With the 12 pan set or less you learn how to mix any color you may need. I just knew I didn’t have the money as some of my peers in college for art supplies and felt quite poor actually. BUT,,,,I can mix you any shade or color you need from my tiny 12 pan set which I still have. So, who benefited? I can afford the 45 pan set now and it really doesn’t impress me as I thought it would.
This is the point I painted too. I need to detail the hands and fingers and start to work the detail. I have time, the show isn’t until Dec. something deadline. I also need to draw up a background. I don’t mind comments and some are really nice, then there are ones for enhancing drugs and porn ads….please don’t send me them! It is a pain in a** to weed through the crappy nasty sex comments and I have decided to pray for you all with such conflict or feel you have the need to email such exposing subject matter to everyone in your lives. Thanks. I do appreciate the nice comments and look forward to reading/answering them……over 500 and counting!
I believe I will have a window of time to continue working on this watercolor, it is quite large. Which is obviously taking longer to work the entire composition, but taking more time and patience on my part. I wanted to finish this and enter two watercolors instead of one for a juried show in New York, but I realize if I rush it will not turn out like I expect and envision. So, the mature thing is to wait, not get frustrated, finish on a timely manner and look for another show to enter. There will always be shows to enter somewhere. Why add more stress to already the stresses that come with each new day? Just do the best you can today and let God handle the rest.
This watercolour had been a challenge for the size like I said before and I decided to paint the two boys a bit older when this photograph was taken. I don’t know why….I drew it three times and I realized the painting was coming out that way so I went with it! Maybe a bad idea? Sort of has a new level of challenge. I have too much time in now to toss it….and never just put a piece of artwork to the side and think you will finish it sometime,,,,,later never comes. I like the way the forms are starting to define themselves in the legs for example. This wc has a long long way to go. As you can see in the photo the background is a bit busy, I need to tone that down when I sketch that out. I like the idea of the fence on a diagonal, it adds to good composition. You want objects in the composition taking your eye through the painting. So, the diagonal fence I will sketch in and some blacked eyed Susans, other than that I am stuck. If I raise the fence in the background I can add more grass and less sky? I don’t want to paint trees in, the subject matter is a more up close view. Always look at the distance in composition and how the foreground subjects are. Awe….this needs a lot of work. This new show called Splash 15 has a deadline Dec. 3rd., so that works.
LOL! This doesn’t look like the people in my picture….augh. At first the hair didn’t look like it should, then the highlights! Remember the highlights when painting, not after. Adding lighter highlights afterwards is harder and the paint [watercolor] looks thick then. Plus, the flesh color layers of color are really sun-kissed and that is throwing me a bit too. Just remember to paint the face as form and normal color first, then add the tan rosy hues. I only had about an hour to work on this late last night, so once a background goes in I hope it starts to resemble Adam better.
It has taken me until to now to realize I rather paint up close realism, but I need to expand my artwork subjects and not get stuck painting the same subjects just in different comps. If I do that my work will get boring even though the skill is top-notch. This wc is large and hard to arrange the board to hold or put the board an angle to actually paint. The size is a bit overwhelming at first. I drew this three times! Once it came out too small for the subject matter and the second I had it drawn larger and beautifully….I had spaghetti sauce on the back of my hand and didn’t see it and I even washed my hands very well! Guess where the sauce went? If that isn’t a kick in the ass…..I drew it again. Understand, this is what it is to “keep pressing through” the situation you’re in. Here I have this great composition to paint, which I think has a good shot at least getting a mention in a show if I paint it well. Then here is the devil coming against me trying to destroy me through stupid sh** like the spaghetti sauce. He knows the Great things God has for me and if I give up too quickly or don’t keep trying I will lose and he wins. Thought for the day; Don’t give up and be defeated….keep pressig through”.
Sometimes in your drawing or painting [and the actual artwork skill is good] but, something just does not look right to you? Maybe it is the size? Are you drawing it too small? Some subjects need to be larger drawn to “MatcH” the subject matter. For example; when I drew this smaller it didn’t look right to me. When I drew it again larger it “Fit”. But don’t overwhelm yourself at first with size…..work your way up to sized compositions.
Thank you to Gabrill and the office mates for all the kind words and checking out my artwork…….God Bless.
Almost finished. Next day: now that this has had a good night to dry [in natural air not ac.] I will go back and detail and fine tune the realism. I could leave it at this point, but I want to showcase my skill and knowledge about painting realism. {plus it bothers me if I don’t!}. It has to be REAl to me. ONly certain art can be left unfinished or not realism. See what today brings?
If painting or drawing realism is your goal then you must follow a simple rule; take lessons with me or follow the law of layering color or graphite. You can not just simply put down the last vivid hue of color first,,,,,must be a layering building process to form the shapes. Go through all the prior post on this picture and notice the building of color.
It is very important to follow the form in drawing when trying to create realism. Shade in the form in the direction of the object you are trying to render. In the next two pictures notice how the cat’s backside is flat in the first picture below. Notice how the backside looks after the highlights were added in the shape of the form. Use the light and dark contrast to your advantage. We worked on composition and putting in darker values.
I know how intimating drawing can be and it gets very frustrating when you are not sure what to do next, but keep trying and don’t be afraid to use rich “B’s” pencils. Squint at the picture and see how your drawing looks….is there a value range in graphite? Joan still needs to fine tune the drawing; the darks need to be added and don’t be afraid of the eraser. This drawing of Belle Looks Fabulous! Way to go Joan! A+. Great job!
Artist tip: The “H” pencils are hard and warm tone and the “B” pencils are cool tone and softer graphite. The coolness in value shades will sink into the background while warm tones will come forward in space.
Hey there, I finally had a chance to print the two pictures I want to take this new watercolor from. IDK why I am so afraid of my photo printer? Anyway, I have two pictures I am going to pull from. I decided it is time I start to enter juried shows. The show entries’ fee can be expensive and it adds up quickly. Who really has an extra hundred dollars lying around these days? I am gonna bit the bullet so too speak and enter a show coming up by the end of July. Who knows maybe my lucky stars are with me and I can win something right? As soon as I get this new watercolor drawn out I will start to post the progression.
Roxanne 