Fabriano Studio Watercolor Paper

My most recent art supply purchase included a Fabriano Studio Watercolour paper pad.  It is hot press, 140 lbs, acid free and made from 25% cotton fiber.  The colours remain vibrant, however they do not move nor blend as easily as on the Fabriano Artistico.  Therefore, it is not really suitable for wet into wet washes.  I decided to use it for "tight" paintings where I could work smaller sections at a time and add wet on dry layers.  Below are some photos I took while painting a portrait from the 1930s.

The first step was the pencil outline drawing and an overall light wash of new gamboge.

I then started painting the facial features working light to dark.  Light skin tone is pretty much some variation of beige.  I used rose madder, new gamboge and vermilion to mix warm and cool tones of orange and added raw umber and ultramarine blue to my mixes for the cooler darker shadows.

Next I worked on the hair.  Again using the same colours as before I created darker mixtures.  To maintain harmony, using a limited palette works great.

Because the shirt already had a yellow wash, I added a light glaze of rose madder to give it an orangish tone and added similar mixtures as before for the shadows.

The little shapes and patterns on the shirt were added once the previous layer was dry.

The last step was to add the background wash; a green using new gamboge and ultramarine blue.

The completed painting,

Like most papers, it does buckle a bit, but it did return to flat once the larger areas were dry.  I will continue using this paper pad for more detailed paintings.  It is budget friendly and the results are satisfactory.

Lastly, for those of us who like pencil drawings. :)

"All the diversity, all the charm, and all the beauty of life are made up of light and shade."
-Leo Tolstoy

Silver Black Velvet Watercolour Brush

At last I was able to come up with my first painting using my new watercolour brush! It had to be something with enough detail and fine lines to evaluate its performance.

Viridian + Rose Madder

Spring At Home

My dear friends, I hope you are well wherever in the world you are.  Here, spring advances with warmth one day and retreats the next.  Today rain is falling gently; each drop like a warm kiss reviving a healthy glow every leaf has longed to see return.  It transforms desolate woodlands to glossy deep hues of greens, browns, peachy pinks and transparent blues.

Quiet activities fill my days … reading, painting, baking, …

"Spring drew on … and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps."

- Charlotte Brontё

Burnt Umber (oil paint)

Raw Umber

Working On Toned Paper

One of the most exciting feelings one can experience is trying new art supplies, that is if you are a creative person.  I recently received my order from Jackson's and am very pleased with the results.  I needed several graphite pencils since I enjoy sketching/drawing often.  The Bruynzeel set of 12 pencils ranging from 2H to 9B come in a beautiful tin box designed in collaboration with the Dutch National Museum to inspire artists reminding them of the old Masters.  The 12 scale value allows me to work in various key schemes.  I usually sketch using 3 graphite pencils with very contrasting values, hence I also ordered the Cretacolor (an Austrian manufacturer) graphite pencils in 9B and 4B as part of my most often used values.  They are available in a full range of 20 lead degrees and can be purchased separately each which is always great.  

Like me, if you enjoy working in various mediums, finding the right mixed media surface is a bit challenging.  I often find myself eager to paint in oils but reluctant to spend too much time and effort into surface preparation such as a panel or stretched canvas... For now, Clairefontaine Naturel gummed pad is the solution for me.  It is to be used with acrylic, gouache, pastel, ink, graphite and even a light wash of watercolour.  I of course went ahead and painted in oils. I tried to use thin but dry paint.  I really like the beautiful natural tan colour.  Starting in midtone, one can push the values in both directions (working lighter and darker)!  Overall it is a great surface for sketches and small studies.  No more excuses to postpone painting in oils!  :)

Below are some of my recent work based on vintage photographs and art.

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am.  

Cottages

The sun feels warmer finally.  On this beautiful June morning, fresh scents of flowers and newly cut grass permeate the air.  Earlier this morning, while enjoying the stillness with a cup of tea at the open window in my room, I noticed a determined little bird flying back and forth carrying tiny twigs in its beak.  This reminded me of a few projects of my own that I should be working on very soon.

There are a couple of acrylic paintings to do for my client as well as a few personal projects.  Below are photos the client sent me of the painting I completed previously.  A black and white/neutral theme is chosen for this room which acts like a blank canvas to allow experimentation with a variety of colours as accent pieces.

At this point, I will take a break from blogging and YouTube in order to complete these projects, also to enjoy nature when possible and to read a few good books during these summer months.  I will of course read everyone's kind comments and respond.  I wish you all a happy and fun summer!

"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor - such is my idea of happiness."
-Leo Tolstoy