Category: Art

Sunday Snapshots

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See if you can figure out what I drew!! I haven’t done one of these box drawings in a while. Always give u an up close view of objects. These are objects nearby me today.

I added a tomboy marker to the background. I was afraid to go to far because it can lift the ink even the Carbon Platinum Black that I used.

Thought snapshots would be a good name for these. I was drawing Them while half watching a show about David Hockney who loves the camera. He had 100s of albums of photos that he actually painted from.

I think it would be fun to do these with a theme like Christmas or animals or kitchen objects or small drawings of your toes and fingers?! I dunno. Possibilities are endless.

Lamy EF Stillman and Birn Alpha

Margaret looking for a new good binge watch. Stay home ans stay safe!! Xoxoxo

Wet on Wet

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Always wondered how people paint juicy wet on wet so did a demo today with Liz Chaderton who has several classes here. Shopkeepeasy.com

Update: closer to the finish line. Below before I lifted the blue blob on left of the cats chest:

Himalayan 140 cp so far. Going to lift off some of the Thalo blue under her chin.

The sketch

The photo

Liz’s cat

Painted with three colors. Thalo blue Hematite violet abs neutral tint. That’s it. Size 8 brush and a box cutter to scrape out whiskers.

Before I lifted some color out and add some color in. Going after the other blue spot under her chin after a nap. Woke up at five despite a Zyrtec which knocks me out for the whole day.

Had to be ready to paint by 9. Since I signed up abt 10 pm least nite after the Zyrtec I was NOT ready. Finished episode two of Black Narcissus on FX and Hulu an amazing BBC show, remake of a 1937 mystery film with Deborah Kerr back then. Also a 1934 best seller be Rumer Godden. Kerr’s better known for the King and I with Yul Bryner. Now I am wondering if the original is on my fav channel YouTube. Where else can you watch fix it shows baking shows art shows and old lost movies??

Margaret whose exhausted from get allergy attack last nite. Xoxoxo

A post before

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It slips my mind. I think the only time Henry holds still is when he’s doing class work. Virtual school now out for this week.

The first drawing was terrible as you can see. Doesn’t pay to lay off of drawing people for a while. No a curve in the back of the first one.

Practice is necessary a lot or you get rusty.

I didn’t get around to drawing the chair again. Class was out for lunch.

Colored with Fabre castell watercolor pencils, stillman and birn alpha, Lamy ef.

Margaret xoxoxox

Oops meant to post

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This yesterday.

Drawing Van Goghs The Room with Danny Gregory. Always a fun activity on YouTube. Low pressure. Everyone yaks away via chat while Danny yaks. Last about an hour. He’s always relaxing.

As to The Room. Drawn with Caran d’ache neocolor ii which are crayons that turn into watercolors. I wet them with my fingers aka finger painted. I was too lazy to get up and find a brush so I stuck my fingers in my nearby water glass and smeared the color around.

Did u know the actual painting has turned purple. Some reaction to the underpaintings color. Oops Vincent what happened?!

Margaret xoxoxo

Reflections in L’ Isle Sur La Sorges

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Aka France Evidently the town in Avignon is a lot like Venice w Canals and boats. Also near Vaucluse which I live near another Vaucluse. Guess the French Huguenots settled the one near me. A lot did settle in South Carolina.

So far but as usual a WIP a work on progress. Someone please tell me why I hate them when I am done painting three four hours and always like them better in the morning!!?

Vlad paint along Sunday. One more paintalong next Sunday before he takes a winter holiday break.

The photo

I think I need more shadows in mine and an oranger pinker roof. A few more darks in the foreground water. Try to lift some lost highlights. Mr Clean to the rescue I hope.

The drawing

300 lb fabriano rough paper half sheet 15×22. Really don’t like this paper. Maybe I will repaint it tomorrow on Kilimanjaro. The fabriano just sucks up paint making it look pale.

First wash. Always a wild ride with Vlad. Five colors. Yellow ochre alizarin cobalt cad orange. and neutral tint or as he calls it emergency mix.

The whole thing is painted with the same mix of paint and water.

Moving along second wash. Usually we paint everything from the first wash thru each layer but not this time.

Adding greens and darks. Still only a few more Colors. Indigo burnt sienna burnt umber

And here we are as of now. Spent most of the day waiting for the Carpet cleaner to come to clean the sofa the kitties pooed on. They ate now litter trained and e sofa will be covered up as soon as it dries. Aka no more kitty poo.

Margaret tired from not doing a whole lot. I did bake a quiche full of chopped veggies. Does that count?!! And moved stuff out of the way of the carpet cleaner. Xoxoxo

Drawing with Danny Gregory

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When you aren’t inspired to draw or paint guarantee Danny Gregory on his YouTube Draw with me show will get you going. Free every Thursday at Noon.

We all drew a pigeon skeleton today. Well the show was last weeks show. I was busy so did it today. That’s the great thing about YouTube. The shows wait for you and ready when u are.

He furnished the picture we drew.

I used a Micro univalve pen and a namiki fude. Oh and a lamy ef. All that cross hatching was eating up the ink. I may add watercolor to it but letting it dry overnight before I do.

Stillman and birn alpha.

Catching up on escape to the Chateau on YouTube then my binge of Killing Eve on Hulu. Love watching the British couple rehabbing a decrepit five story chateau WITH mote in Escape to the Chateau. The jobs they undertake are monumental on a show string budget. Watch it. They are intriguing. A visit there is on my bucket list.

Margaret xoxoxo

Composition- Provence or the Blue Ridge?!!

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I am thinking it’s the blue ridge. I love the views from the tops of the mountains with the towns snuggled in the bottom around a lake.

I think this paintings done. Going to sleep on it to be sure.

12×17″ arches 280 cp Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint.

Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

I took a class with Vlad Yesileyev on composition today.

Fascinating and educational as usual.

He said composition is THE most important thing in a drawing.

Typically you divide a drawing into thirds vertically and horizontally. And where they cross is your focal point. It’s the place where you should put the greatest contrast in your painting with less detail in the other areas.

MINIMIZE anything not in your focal point. And if you don’t like your value sketch then don’t start painting.

I highly recommend that class. He’s just THE best teacher. Willing to answer any question and stay as late as necessary to help if needed. He explains everything so well leaving no detail unexplained as to why he’s doing what he’s doing. And if you don’t understand he will patiently explain it again.

And he has a GREAT russian accent and a GREAT sensenofnhumor.

The drawing

First wash. I managed NOT ago sticky my fingers in the sky or blot it. My two fav things to do to mess up My sky wash. Yellow Ochre cobalt alizarin and neutral tint

Finishing first wash using the same colors

Adding trees. I can finally do lacy dry brush trees. Well more or less.

Still using the same colors and some burnt sienna and burnt umber and indigo for the dark greens.

Teacher critique. Too much splatter and pines too Lacey. Oops. Easy fix.

Can I whine but I like splattering. You should see the tv I watch the zoom on. Covered w specks of paint.

and yes he was right. Too much splattering of flowers in the foreground.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for his paintalongs and his classes. You will be glad you did.

Day 231 So many Spots!!

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On the Farm down Florida way. Arches 280 cp. Nice paper. Scratches so well. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

The photo

Vlad’s value sketch.

My sketch. Did get tired of drawing a jillion little cows and all those legs. 😜 My dad used to joke to us on trips to count the cows by counting their legs and dividing by 4. That was the best part of drawing a jillion cows. Remembering the joke.

First wash. Cobalt cad yellow alizarin dioxzine cad orange yellow ochre

My cows are too light I think. We shall see.

Painting the background trees. Still using the same colors and burnt sienna and umber.

So I painted my cows a little darker grey. Cobalt yellow ochre and alizarin dioxzine mix. That mix will give you all kinds of grey.

Greens mixed with cad yellow cobalt and indigo. Oh and cobalt teal on water tubs.

Think this one is different but I can’t tell. Shadows under white spots? NOPE. Since these are Holstein cows painted lots and lots of grey and blackish spots made with that same grey mix. I think I added ultramarine and a dab of alizarin to mine.

Cows up close.

And adding in the foreground tree. Once again that green mix on the grey side.

Can I put my feet up now?!

Margaret xoxoxox

Day 237 Undercover spying

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I like to draw random people when I am out and about. Get bored sitting in a class or in talk and then I draw the people I can see nearby but I don’t want them to see me drawing them. Thus undercover spying.

Spent the day going thru old photos of random people and tossing them into recycle. Or terrible print outed photos. They look blurry. Who needs them when they are on your iPad available for painting or running a slide show?!

Probably should paint them. Found my tiny whiskey painters box today when I was cleaning. Hurrah!!

Hahnamuhle journal with no idea of what pen. Probably a Lamy EF loaded with eel skin ink. Lettering done with my namiki fude today.

Margaret xoxoxox

Day 235 Urbansketching in Decatur

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The view from our lunch table at Taqueria de Sol on W Ponce yesterday. Thought my fingers were going to freeze off.

My favorite hamburger joint the original Farmburgers and Chai Pani Indian Street food the home of blistered tongues from their hot food. Give me a farmburger please. Sooo good.

Stillman and Birn Alpha and Micro univalve. Meant to post yesterday but was too busy watching the election returns. Swore I wouldn’t but oh well. Now I needs a nap.

Margaret still listening on NPR. Xoxoxo