Category: charles Reid

The Gallant Lady

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The Gallant Lady is done for the moment but thinking about working on the sand some more. I put those dark bands almost evenly spaced. Oops.

I was doing a mad online paint along with Randy Hale. This 12×16″ painting was done in 45 minutes. Oh my. A wild chase. Lots of wet juicy color.

The Gallant Lady is a famous 1997 Hurricane Mitch shipwreck off Bimini in the Bahamas. You can read more about her on this link. Hard to believe it’s fallen apart so quickly.

Love the way my sky turned out. It was done with ultramarine of cobalt and then opera was dropped in along with raw umber for the greys.

Randy has a great sky technique. I am terrible at painting skies. But this one I actually like. He’s doing a lot of online teaching as are multiple other artists right now. Such a gift to all of us. Access to these great paintings tees from our own homes.

First layers on. The sand is quin gold burnt sienna and raw umber. I should try to make it look less regular but not sure I care enough to try.

I think I used quin burnt orange on the boat or quin sienna along with raw umber. I don’t know why I don’t use raw umber more because I really like the color.

Water is Thalo blue applied painting downward. Also cobalt teal watered

down like tea. The purple is added after its dry. Coming along. I like that most of the color is transparent. Love transparency in watercolor. Gives a lovely glow.

Darker greens Thalos and purples added to give depth.

Done for now.

This kitty is off to get spayed tomorrow. Don’t ya wanna come help me catch her?!! Hard to believe she used to be a rack of bones. She’s a gorgeous cat now. Don’t you want her. All neutered with shots!!

Margaret xoxoxo

Don Andrews AWS

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I took an online zoom class with Don Andrews The Figure in the Lnadscape. I have watched all his available YouTube’s and he was on my bucket list. It cost $35 so I was in. One thing I love about the epidemic is the fact you can stay home and take a class for $35. Normally a class with Don would run $600 for a week.

At the end of class. My figure where is it?! We used a limited palette. Six colors. And i put out his whole list of colors whine whine. I think we only used gamboge, opera pink, cerulean, raw sienna, alizarin, turquoise.

The drawing. Did I say I did not get the 911 to draw it so mine is not right. Too many similar sized rocks.

First wash on a quarter sheet. No that’s not yellow but gamboge which is like a school bus yellow. Yes there’s a drawing under there. A lot of fast and furious painting with a big 1 1/2″ brush. If I had used the half sheet like I was suppose to I would have used a 2″ or even a wider hake brush. Have one of those 3-4″ wide.

As Vlad Yesileyev I think said recently use the biggest brush you can to do the job. And I have always used a big brush. Probably should have used my size 14 sable which I am familiar with not a flat. A better chance of success.

Layering in the midtones. Trying not to wipe out the whites or the midtones. Quite a challenge when you are using a large flat wash brush.

Then the darks which are the same colors just thicker. A cream consistency. I think we did add in a blue. Ultramarine or cobalt. Oops getting hard edges. Not allowed. Sigh.

Painting the water and the figure. He disappeared. Oops. The water reflection is just burnt sienna and ultramarine.

And finished. My rocks could have more greys. Oh well. At least the hard edges are where they are suppose to be. And the rocks are weird shapes. Like the round boulders and the wedge shaped blue rock but that’s because I drew them in about three minutes.

He’s sending us the video so I can paint it again. We get access to it for a month. So now to make myself do it!!

Margaret xoxoxox who actually read a book today instead of painting. The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick. One of the characters is based on a friend of mine and the book is dedicated to him so of course I had to read it. A beach read book but fun.

Too tired too

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To finish today.

A day spent in Prague. Still lots to do. List too long to write but… it needs a lot. Oddly I actually like it for once. Usually I don’t like them til the next day.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev

Vlads photo

The drawing on a half sheet of Hahnemuhle 140# cezanne.

First wash

Plus the sky. Took about an hour and a half to get to this point.

Really hated it at this stage. Yuck.

Added some details but there are sooo many to do. I will work on it some more manana.

Silly geese started honky at us. No clue why. Must be close to a dozen.

Margaret xoxoxo just tahred.

Another foggy day

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Arches 280# cold press paper Cheap Joe’s American Journey paint colors indigo, ultramarine, burnt sienna, dioxzine, quin gold and lots of water.

A fun painting to do. I could change several things and betting I will do another one with green fir trees next time.

What would I work on?! Less striped sky. Better firs. But all in all I like it. Masking the birch trees to preserve the whites before I started painting.

I would wear rubber gloves. Eeek. Time for scrubby dubby.

Also might try using some of these paints on another one. “. L-R Daniel Smith Payne’s Grey, Cheap Joe’s Payne’s Grey and Cheap Joes Moonglow

Love the blues in the Daniel Smith and all the purples and blues in the moonglow. Last one is so yum.

Zoe posing like the pretty princess she is. She does love a scarf or two.

Margaret xoxox

Calling It Scrubby Dubby

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because I scrubbed at this for over an hour I think. Maybe call it Mountain Mist?!

Before I started scrubbing. Everything was painted wet on wet. The trees were done with the liner and a chunk of kitchens sponge plus splattering. Only two colors were used. Payne’s grey and ultramarine. Arches 140# rough.

I had no idea how to do the fog which I wanted to do the fog because I live on a river that is frequently heavily fogged. I was following a YouTube video with David R Smith to practice for class tomorrow with my new liner brushes.

All my tools used to paint this. Red handled brushes are the scrubbers.

I was scratching my head when o realized his supply list for tomorrow said two scrubbers. On the video he did a tree with a Mr Clean Eraser. After scrubbing with the scrubbers for about an hour I realized duh. Use the Mr Clean. If it could lift off a birch tree it could lift off mist. I finished not long after that.

I used the scrubbers to make wispy strands of fog floating off the river. Yes there are wisps if you look. 😘

And done. Time to use the palette knife to loosen it from the block of paper.

Margaret xoxox

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

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 233 Alla Prima

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My granddaughter and I were painting together today. I decided to do one of her. No pencil drawing first. Not too bad. Her hair is wild aka bed head. She might have dreadlocks soon. Now if I could just get rid of the seam. What was I thinking?!

Groan. It’s not like I didn’t have some fluid 150 cold press nearby.

Cad red and cad yellow. Alizarin Quin gold burnt sienna burn umber a dab of black. Peacock blue and Verditer blue – a pretty soft sky blue that I think has white gouache in it

Stillman and Birn alpha which was very forgiving when I lifted a few areas.

Margaret xoxoxo