Day 214 Kitty Doodles

October 15, 2020October 15, 20202 Comments

Got bogged down doing paperwork today but managed to draw the pot kitties on my back porch. Oddly once again two are missing. Last time that happened they turned up. So who knows. It’s a wait and see right?!

This morning they were busy playing inside and outside. Spent the afternoon snoozing. As I type they are waking up. Of course I Am done drawing them. Sigh

Anyway here they are. Used my Namiki Fude. Faber castell watercolor pencils. Was afraid to dampen the watercolor pencil because I knew the ink would run. Really need to order a bottle of platinum black. Never had these things problems with it.

Stillman and Birn alpha.

Zoe’s ready for Halloween. She was very excited when I put on her Halloween scarf.

The knitting is growing. 16″ or so now.

Margaret thinking abt a nap. Xoxoxox

Day 213 Upside down

October 14, 2020October 15, 2020Leave a comment

After the upside down drawing I got into a discussion with my dear painting friend Ruth Pearl also my guiding light for art critiques about looking at your art upside down to see problems.

So today I tried it. I want to see if I can apply what I have learned from Vlad Paint Alongs to this fairly simple photo.

I did my value sketch. It is a little big. Should be postcard size. Oops. And I should work on a wider range of values from dark to light but I have a good start.

I want to make the top right window the focal point.

Then I turned it upside down to sit and look at for errors. Why do errors show?? Because you aren’t looking at what you drew but the shapes and tones of the value sketch.

I noticed right off the bat that the building was wonky. Aka lines weren’t straight. A good thing or bad thing. I also noticed that the top window did attract your eye right off the bat.

I cheated and drew it first. Now I have to go back and make some Adjustments. Like a taller roof on the left building and the chimney on the right one.

I guess I should turn it upside down and look at it too.

Something else I like to do is take the color out of a photo to reduce it to the elements.

Ps don’t forget just because it’s not there in thenpainting doesn’t meant you can’t add it.

Been watching Frank Francese paint watercolors on Cheap Joes YouTube. https://youtu.be/EPSfkIL9nzs
There are several of them. Love his bright colors and his wild paintings.

Margaret ready to watch Part 2&3 of Frank’s Beach painting. Xoxoxox

Day 210 Parafruegel Costa Brava Spain

October 11, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

Flying away with Vlad Yesilesev on today’s paint along. I think I actually finished for once. Reserve the right to get up tomorrow and change it. Half sheet Kilimanjaro 140#. Trying to decide if I want to buy more 300# Kilimanjaro. Down to my last sheet but I have a large stack of the 140 so I may use it for a while. #useitup Also a stack of arches cold press #280.

The photo

Vlads value sketch

The sketch

First wash

What people already.

Oops forgot to take photos.

More darks esp foreground and under the umbrellas. The balcony. Playing with my saber brush which us fun to do squiggly calligraphic lines with.

thought it was done but nope.

added a few more whites and more balcony shadow.

Anybody want a kitty kitty???

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 200 Drawing Upside Down With Danny Gregory

October 2, 20205 Comments

Om his Thursday noon draw with me post on youtube. You never know what he’s going to draw. Usually interesting and free. Might have to add an Austrian stamp to this. What do u think??!

Could not leave my sketch alone but had to decorate it esp since my palette was open and wet. Quin gold w dabs of burnt umber and ultra marine blue. Splattered with burnt sienna.

The sketch with my micro uniball and my Namiki Fude. Stillman and Birn Alpha.

We drew from this upside down Egon Schiele sketch of his wife. They both died from the Spanish flu in Oct 1919. He trained under Gustav Klimt and does wonderful strange sketches of people. Maybe he drew them upside down like we did today?!

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 198 One more down Edisto Way

September 28, 2020May 19, 20216 Comments

Having a binge tv do nothing day unless I had no choice. Driveway visit with a friend I hadn’t seen since hmm well about 198 days- not since Covid started. Hard to believe we are almost at 200 days since lock down begun. 1000 deaths per day for 200 days and no end in sight. Cheery thoughts on a gorgeous fall day.

I meant to draw some people in this sketch but of course they hopped in their go cart and zipped off down the beach about the time I sat down to draw this scene. Oops.

Hope I didn’t share this already. My granddaughter and I got out at the crack of dawn to take this pic. Did u know the birds start flying away from their roost almost the minute dawn strikes. It was like 3 2 1 liftoff dawn is here. And off they sailed. Next time I will have my good camera and get out there 15 min earlier. 😩😩😩

Margaret xoxoxo

Day194- Down Edisto Way

September 24, 20202 Comments

A quick sketch while on the beach today. Micro uniball Fabre Castro watercolor pencils stillman and birn Alpha

BYTW you can own this house for a mere $4.9 million. 5 bedroom 9 baths on the front.

My favorite watercolor pencils. Buy please tell me why there a pthalo blue instead of cerulean or cobalt. Someone please explain.

Margaret ready for bed. Another busy day manana xoxoxo

Day 191 Rousillon Revisited

September 21, 2020May 19, 20213 Comments

Paint along with Vladislav YesileyevThis one needs some darks. I don’t know how I DO NOT get them dark enough. I used a piece of Kilimanjaro 140#cp because I have a lot of it. Nice paper. I guess I need to give it the color test to see if it takes color like the 300 lb Kilimanjaro does. I found two more pieces of that but Cheap Joes is having a sale so I would like to get more while they have free shipping over $35.

I also think I need to make the windows darker and make the building look rockier. Maybe a few more darks on the big bush on the right. I was too tired this evening to do anymore. The photo somewhere in Provence

The sketch.

First washes. So light. There was a time when I made these very dark. So hurrah. Progress. Let it fly with a big kolinsky sable.

Sky wash and the bushes washed in.

First washes on the buildings.

Bushes begin. Can yellow cobalt yellow ochre. Bush Darks ultramarine and indigo. The place purple is alizarin dioxzine cobalt and yellow ochre. A greyed purpley bluey color

More Darks under the arbor. Alizarin cobalt and burnt umber Darks added in the buildings. Lots more browns added to it. And the required cobalt and alizarin dioxzine mix.

And here we are again needing more work groan.

Hugs. Ready for bed. Margaret Xoxoxox. Off to the beach Tuesday. Packing tomorrow. Hasta la vista Xoxoxox

Day 185 Low Country Cottage

September 14, 2020May 19, 20215 Comments

Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev. And of course more work to do on it. Fun painting the palm trees though couldn’t get them dark enough the first time round.

Arches 280 cold press.

I know I am going to try to paint the roof grey. Will paint some yellow on a scrap and then paint colors over it to see what turns it grey like a metal roof. Thinking purple will. Maybe on the blue side. We shall see. Will posts my tests too.

The photo. Kind of nondescript right??! Really in Cortez FL but I have seen 100 like it in the low country.

Value sketch.

The sketch.

First wash

Second wash. Actually a lot lighter than the photo

Adding darks. Should be one shot but I never get them dark enough.

And more darks.

Done for now. Definitely needs work. Thinking lighten the small palm in the middle because the chair is the focal point NOT that palm.

Tomorrow right?!! Margaret xoxoxo

Day 183 I might have learned something

September 12, 2020September 12, 20202 Comments

Looked at this one and thought that hubcap in the middle is TOO yellow. I have to knock it back.

So I did. Now the focus is on tractor not it’s tire. Woohoo. Progress.

Finally I know that I have learned something taking the paint alongs with Vlad and that I can do it ON MY OWN. Hallelujah

Because the focal point is the point of highest contrast. Anything else should be greyed out. The focal point should be on a third point. And this one is done. See how your eye goes right to the white boat on the left top?! FOCAL POINT!!!

Today I spent some time emphasizing it.

Before. The boat did stand out but now it really goes boing LOOK AT ME! It was killer trying to straighten out the wash not he right side. Was not sure of the mix!!!

NEVER EVER stop a wash w a HARD LINE. What was I thinking?!!!

Day 182 Tractor time

September 11, 2020Leave a comment

Ok so I like to draw vehicles. If I had my big sketchbook and fav juicy Derwent sketching pencil I probably would have drawn the cars at Costco or Chic Fil A drive through today.

BUT NOPE so I drew the tractor at Good Earth a local store that sells local produce. Great tomatoes green beans corn peaches apples and some locally produced items like my favorite popsicles King of Pops.

Today o realized there was a convenient place to draw the tractor and it’s trailer. I added some of the plants and moved some around for a more interesting arrangement a la Vlad recommends. Why take the class if u don’t give it a try?! If I had a pencil I would have done a value sketch.

Pilot micro pen Fabriano Venezia sketchbook. Tiny thing postcard sized. Sooner or later paint when I get around to it. It would love some paint. Maybe when I finish this one tomorrow.