Overnight Success

"It takes twenty years to become an overnight success."

~ E. Cantor

"The idea that success can happen overnight is a myth. You have to work for it."

Even if you are creating art as a pleasant pastime or hobby, starting off with a beginning art foundation provides practical tools and understanding that can be used with any medium or subject. Being introduced to the "primary" rules about color, values and harmony, through learning to draw and really see, will give you a deeper level of  involvement, dexterity, and enjoyment. Because you had to learn to walk before you could run; it is the same in art; you have to learn the rules before you can break them. Just like in cooking, you have to learn how to read a recipe, work the equipment, select your cookware and utensils and gather your ingredients before you can cook a gourmet meal! 

"Artists get better by sharpening their skills or by acquiring new ones;

they get better by learning to work, and by learning from their work."

~ D. Bayles, T. Orland

Since I was on a roll after drawing every day in June, July and August, 

I signed up for another 30 Day Challenge, called the 30 Day Creative Gathering,

hosted by Sheila Delgado.

To see the first half of this collection, click here.

The second half of this September 2019 collection can be seen here. 

X ♥  O

P.S.

All my paintings and drawings are available for purchase.
Contact me with your inquiries about details and prices, thanks.

Challenge, Process & Progress

"I’ve found that there have to be at least three prerequisites to motivation for the artist. They are; challenge, process, and the feeling of progress. Without challenge, the muse dies.  If an artist underestimates capability or goes too long with outworn motifs, interest fades and motivation fails. Complexity, nuance, even novelty, need to be consciously added to the mix."

~ Robert Genn

This is the second half of a collection of paintings and drawings that
I created every day in September 2019. 

#17 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#18 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#19 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#20 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#21 - 5 x 7" Alcohol Ink on Yupo Paper, matted to 8 x 10"

#22 - 6 x 8" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#23 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#24 - 6 x 6" Watercolor and Pen & Ink Sketch on Coldpress Cotton Rag

#25 - 5 x 7" Metallic Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Black

#26 - 5 x 7" Metallic Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Black

#27 - 5 x 7" Alcohol Ink on Yupo Paper, matted to 8 x 10"

#28 - 6 x 8" Metallic Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Black

#29 - Drawing done in Photoshop for upcoming Halloween class.

#30 - Drawing done in Photoshop for upcoming Halloween class.

To see the first half of this collection, done in September 2019, click here.

X ♥  O

P.S.

All my paintings and drawings are available for purchase.
Contact me with your inquiries and I'll get back to you with details and prices.

During the summer of 2019, I drew every day.
You can see all 92 drawings and paintings that were created and posted here.
And then, at the beginning of September, I signed up for another challenge for the next 30 days.
It is called the 30 Day Creative Gathering, hosted on facebook by Sheila Delgado.
This made it 122 consecutive days of creating and I think it's a record for me.

Watercolor Palette Cleaning Tips

Today I'm sharing a few tips with my artist friends,

mostly learned through trial and error.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've learned the hard way, that sometimes there's a reason that I'm not getting the results I am seeking when my painting looks like crap is not so successful.

A less than ideal working palette is a definite hinderance. Especially when it is as disgustingly crusty, globbed up, dry and dirty as mine was.

Case in point.
UGH!

When using a covered palette with tube watercolors,

if you don't let it get this bad, fresh pigment can be added to the semi-hardened paint. Then the two consistencies can be stirred together with a smidgen of water to reconstitute it.

However, I have been neglecting my palette for months and there was not much I could salvage!

I had to scrape out the old stuff that was inundated with hard globs, brush hairs and dirt. Then scrub the crust from the wells and start with fresh squeezed pigment.

I used a butter knife, bristle brush, water and lots

of paper towels to accomplish the job.

When I finally got all the wells clean, I squeezed out new pigment using my Tube-Wringer which helps you get every possible drop out of the tube. As you probably already know, if you are still reading this, pigments can get expensive.

It's a real money saver and a big thumbs up from me.

Ah, now doesn't that look totally inviting?

Palette Colors from top left clockwise..... Cobalt Blue - Nice medium blue - has white in it Cobalt Violet - Nice non-staining violet - has white in it *Cadmium Red *Alizarin Crimson *Ivory Black *Burnt Sienna *Yellow Ochre *Naples Yellow - love this color, use it often *Titanium White - just started using this with my Yupos *Lemon Yellow *Gamboge - nice bright color - instead of Cadmium Yellow *Olive Green - Lukas - love this - color varies by maker Hooker's Green Dark Phthalo Green *Turquoise - American Journey or DaVinci- love this! Turquoise - Lukas - color varies by maker *Phthalo Blue *Ultramarine Blue * Colors most used (*Update - 2017 - See the small limited palette I am currently using here.)   The supplies shown above are my current choice for a thorough cleaning and a total palette makeover. They are a paint tube wringer, bristle brush, butter knife, water and pliers (to pry off caps and squeeze the very last splotch of paint from tube). You will also need plenty of paper towels, water and a spray bottle. My palette is a covered Robert E. Wood. When not painting for a couple of days, I uncover, spritz the paint with water, let it breathe for a while, respritz then recover.  Pigments My color choices have changed recently due to working on Yupo paper. I am now using more pigments with white in them as they seem to bind to the synthetic paper better.  I prefer DaVinci and Utrecht brand tube watercolors for their consistency, quality and price but I have also used Windsor and Newton, American Journey and Lukas. See some tips on working on Yupo paper here. Brushes The idea in my approach is to use the biggest brush you can and still get the job done. The bristle fan brush is occasionally used for texture and spattering. For my rounds, I use a lower quality synthetic brush that comes to a good point, but doesn't lose it's hairs. A word of advice don't let your palette get so grungy. This project took me hours! I hope you found a tip or two here that may be of some use to you. Happy creating!