Comfort Cottage

The Swatch Project

As any fine artist will tell you, it is vitally important to maintain a swatch library of sorts to aid in color selection in the studio.  This becomes increasingly apparent when our collection of paints, pencils, etc. begins to grow and we are using multiple products in a single work of art.  Now, being more interested in using my supplies than cataloging them, I've been reluctant to take the time out for such a project.  As most of you know, I am currently participating in Dion Dior's online workshop, Mastering Twinks.  Once again I've been confronted with the necessity of having ready samples of color for all of my paints and pencils.  I think I often under-utilize my materials because it is impossible to make good choices without some sort of visual aid.  With some encouragement from Dion, I've begun to remedy the situation.

 

 

Since my stash of Twinkling H2Os is overtaking the drawing table, I started with them.  I used a circle punch and 140lb. watercolor paper to punch out circles for a basic color wheel.  Colors appear quite different on paper than they do in the jar - all the more reason to have prepared examples before you use them in your art!

 

 

You can paint your samples directly into your sketchbook, or paint them on seperate cards.  I like the idea of seperate sample cards or disks because you can put them together to get an idea of how they will look in your art.

 

 

  You can arrange them in a color wheel.

 

 

You can arrange them by color.

 

 

I adore paint swatch cards from the hardware store.  I made my own!  Using my paper trimmer, I cut 1 1/4" wide strips of 140lb watercolor paper.  Then I cut them into 3 7/8" cards.

 

 

I have so many colors that I was afraid I'd get them all mixed up when making the cards.  I arranged them on the table in groups, and did one group at a time. 

 

 I kept the swatch with the corresponding pot until it was labeled with the color name.  In the upper right corner I wrote down what product was used for the sample - in this swatch, Tw for Twinks.

 

 

I went through the same process for my Yarka pan watercolors and my tube watercolors.  Using a quarter inch hole punch, I punched each card, added a reinforcement circle and then arranged each product by color on its own book ring.

 

 

This will make color selection a lot easier when I'm mixing mediums!  Next, I'll do my watercolor pencils, colored pencils, and fluid acrylics.  Maybe I'll take a break from swatch-making to make some actual art :)

 

Until next time,

 

Twinkling In The Round-er

I finished mandala number two for Dion Dior's Mastering Twinks workshop, and yes, it is definitely rounder!  I slowed down quite a bit during the drawing process and eyeballed the intervals between sections a little more carefully.  I avoided the temptation to use a ruler, and I'm much happier with my latest attempt.

 

 

I used Winsor and Newton watercolors in quinacrodone gold and perylene maroon to paint the background.

 

I let it dry, and then sprayed with matte fixative to keep from reactivating the watercolors when I painted the design with the Twinkling H2Os (twinks).  I penciled in the design first, and went over it with a black Sakura Pigma Micron pen, size 05.  Next, I began adding color with the twinks.  I used nutmeg for the first section, and shaded it with chestnut.

 

I painted the center star in Mediterranean blue and the points in between in golden opal.  Over top of the brown section, I used deep coral and shaded with poppy red.

 

 

The next teardrop shapes were painted in golden opal, deep coral, and nutmeg.  I painted the small circles with Mediterranean blue.

 

 

Going back to the center, I painted the sections around the golden opal points with poppy red.  I wanted the white areas to be really bright, so I started with a layer of titanium white Golden fluid acrylic.  After it dried, I painted over those sections with the twinks in heavenly white.  I added another row of deep coral teardrops.

 

 

I shaded inside of the row of deep coral teardrops with strokes of poppy red.  Then I added more strokes of color to the outside sections. 

 

 

Using a white gelly roll pen, I added highlight strokes to some sections.  I went over the black drawing lines again to strengthen them.

 

My choice of colors is giving away my excitement over our upcoming cross-country road trip.  We will be returning to the Southwest, where I hope to gather more inspiration for my art from the towns and wild places of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.  I'm going to be able to share more with you from the road this time.  My hubby bought me a laptop so I can process my photos and share my experiences with you more easily.  I'll be sharing the wildlife, the dirt and the reptiles as we go :) (Doesn't that sound delightful?)  Maybe I'll even be able to share some art.  Well, it's back to the drawing table for me.  I hope you have a wonderful day.

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

Twinkling In The Round (well, almost)

I am participating in Dion Dior's online workshop, Mastering Twinks.  Our first assignment was to create a mandala.  I think the idea with mandalas is to be guided by your inner creativity and not to try to control the outcome too much.  For anyone who knows me, when it comes to my artwork, I can be a bit of a control freak!  It was all I could do to keep my little paws off of the ruler as I was drawing.  My mandala is more oblong than round, but it is definitely spirited.

 

 

I dampened the paper and painted in the background with Yarka pan watercolors.  To prevent them from mixing with the twinks, I sprayed the background with Krylon Matte Spray to fix them.

 

 

I worked out the basic design in pencil and then went over it with a Sakura Pigma Micron brush pen.

 

 

I chose four colors of twinks, plus gold.  After painting the design, I went over the black lines again with the brush pen.  I used a charcoal pencil for the shading.  I sprayed the painting once more with matte spray to fix the charcoal.

 

 

Maybe the next one will be round :)  A gal can dream, can't she?

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

A Meaningful Life

I promised you another art journal post this week...

 

 

Quote:  A meaningful life is not being rich, being popular, being highly educated, or being perfect.  It is about being real, being humble, being strong, and being able to share ourselves with others.  -unknown

 

I started with the pencil sketch.  It's a composite of several different photos I've taken.  I keep a library of them and reference pieces of them to create a new composition.

 

 

The entire page was painted using Twinkling H2Os by Luminarte.  I washed in the color of the New Guinea impatiens and coral bells (at least that's what I think they are). 

 

 

I used Faber Castel Polychromos pencils to begin the foliage, butterfly and yellow wildflowers.

 

 

I began adding color and shading to the foliage with Twinkling H2Os (luminescent watercolors).

 

 

I deepened the shading on the foliage.  I worked the ground by first adding a wash of color.  I used colored pencil in a deeper shade over the first wash.   Using a still deeper shade of brown, I shaded under the foliage.

 

 

I painted the centers of the yellow wildflowers and the butterfly with a medium shade of brown.  I added some details and shading with a dark brown.

 

 

I added the orange tones to the butterfly and painted the tips of the yellow flowers in green.  I painted the petals of the yellow flowers and shaded them with a deeper shade of yellow.

 

 

I washed in the background and began the linework with FW acrylic inks and a dip pen.

 

I added line work around the impatiens, yellow flowers and butterfly.  I splattered the background with more of the background colors.

 

 

At this point, I added white linework with a Sakura gelly roll pen.  I deepened shadows in the foliage with colored pencil.  On the leaves lowest to the ground, I glazed over them with a cool blue to help push them back.  I also deepened the shadows on the coral bells and impatiens.

 

When I lettered the quote, I was forced to live the meaning of it :)  After finishing the lettering and photographing the page, I discovered that I had misspelled two words.  So much for perfection :)  A bit of patching and repairing ensued.  I used a black Sakura Pigma micron pen, size 08, for the lettering and added gold with a fine brush.  For the "A", I painted it in light green and outlined it with a dip pen and purple ink.  The vine was also done in acrylic ink, and I painted the leaves with a darker green.  Finally, I had a finished page.

 

I hope you've enjoyed my tutorial.  I'll be linking this post to Pink Saturday, Paint Party Friday, and Art Journal Every Day.  You can find all of these wonderful events and their participants by clicking on the icons in my right sidebar.  Have a delightful and restful weekend.

 

Until next time,