Impression of a lady

Today I worked in my sketchbookery journal on handmade 300lb watercolor paper.  The paper is so wonderful to paint on.  The paper absorbs the paint really well and the texture on the paper adds to the overall watercolor.  I used Prang student grade watercolors to test them out on this good paper, and they did really well.  It was a good test, but I'll stick to my Daniel Smith watercolors when I use this handmade paper.  I need to go order more from Dick Blick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oranges from the yard

I pulled some oranges from my yard and decided to paint them on toned paper.  I used my Prang student grade watercolors and I was rather surprised how well they worked on toned paper.  I did have to use some gouache in a few spots, but overall I'm please with the way this came out.

 

 

 

 

Animal Farm

 

As week 4 of Sketchbookery class comes to an end, I realized that my pages don't have to be perfect; that I did my best at that moment in time when I sketched; and I now look at everything I see as a potential drawing.  Sketching with my fountain pen really makes me look at what I'm about to draw and how each overlapping line can effect the outcome of my sketch.

 

I've learned so much from just watching Mary Ann Moss draw and paint.

 

 

 

 Sheep from a local ranch.

 

Collage page with gesso over it.     Giraffe drawn with paint brush.

A couple of Frenchies

 

I keep on sketching and painting in my sketchbook that I made for my Sketchbookery class.  This is a page from that journal.

 

Ever since my trip to Italy 2 years ago and meeting "Penny" the French bull dog in a local Florence shop, I've been smitten with them ever since.  I would like to own one someday, so in the meantime I paint them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I see you" said Rocky to the cat

 Another page in my sketch book (Sketchbookery class). I'm having fun just sketching and painting and not worrying about the out come.  It's rather freeing to let go of everything being perfect.

Designing, sketching, and painting a look inside my sketchbook

This is the 3rd week of class of Sketchbookery with Mary Ann Moss.  I'm totally loving the class along with all the great videos and ideas.  I'm finding myself looking forward to creating in my sketchbook.  From designing the page, sketching things that interest me, adding embellishments, and finally lettering.  I've even pulled out all my different watercolor palettes to test out colors that I haven't used in a long time.

 

Here is a look inside my sketchbook for the week.

 

 

 

Pallini, Greece Virtual Paintout

 

I really love roaming around Google Maps of Greece.  In doing so, I've discovered the really blue ocean water.

 

 With this painting I was able to use my new Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle Marine set.  The set has the perfect shades of blues for the ocean and light bluff color that I used for the sand.  I did have to grab a couple of colors from my landscape set to help with rendering the sand.  I've never been a messy painter and I found it challenging to splatter the flecks for the pebbles on the beach.  But it got done.

 

This was painted in my 4" x 5.5" watercolor journal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pallini, Greece 

 

 

Greece Virtual Paintout

On Virtual Paint Out for July, Greece is the country to visit.  So I went on Google maps and scouted out a location I wanted to paint.  This ocean scene was in the neighborhood of Istiea, Edipsos, Greece.

 

 I painted this in my small watercolor journal that is 4" x 5.5".  I used Daniel Smith watercolors.

 

 

Sketchbookery Journal with Chevron binding week 2

After two days of watching videos, making my sketchbook for class and doing my first journal page...I'm tired, but happy with what I've created.

 

I've never have included lettering to journal pages in the past, but I think this is something I'll probably include in the future.

 

My journal measures  5.5" x 7.5". I used handmade paper for the covers which I bought in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago.  I have 3 signatures with 5 pages per signature.  The watercolor paper I've used 140lb cold press, handmade watercolor paper that is 300lbs cold press, and 140lb hot press watercolor paper.

 

The binding was a little tricky because the holes had to be an even number and I really didn't like the tying off in the center of each signature.  But I did put washi tape over the center pages so I wouldn't see the bumps created with the tie offs.

 

Overall I'm please with my journal and can't wait to fill it up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monet's garden

 

I was going through some of my photo's from Monet's garden that I took last year and decided to use one as a reference for a painting.  Lots of detail was going on in the photo and I had to pick and choose what I wanted to convey about that moment in time.

 

 

 

Modified contour drawing

I started a new class with Mary Ann Moss "Sketchbookery".  First week is about contour drawing and modified contour drawing.   Here is the first page in my journal.  On the left side is my small watercolor palette with 14 watercolors that seem to work for me.  On the right side is a modified contour drawing ( I look at my subject and if I need to, I can look at my drawing to make sure that the lines are meeting up in the right place.)