Day 360 – Island Dreaming 2

July 3, 2015July 3, 20152 Comments

I repainted it. This one is larger than the first one. 12×18

I am much happier with this painting than the last. If I could change anything it would to have used a light hand on the porch across the house. I would have liked to have done it more like the next picture. Maybe one more go round?! Probably not.

This was mostly painted with my Isabey mops. Next time I am putting up all my paint brushes but the mops so the small ones don’t call me. You paint a lot looser with the mops. Try them. You will love them.

Really like this glow. I should have taken a break and thought a while before I painted the bottom half of the painting.

Colors used : cad orange and Aureolin yellow, cerulean, mineral Violet, cobalt, every green I have, Inathridone, burnt umber and vermilion to make the grey on the Palm trunks. Some Quin red.

Here’s version 1 of Island Dreaming. I actually do like it just wish I had not gotten the tower as dark as it is. Which one do u like best??

Thanks for reading.

Margaret ️xxx

Day 359 a few more palms

July 2, 2015Leave a comment

Just thought I would trade you today with a few details of a redo on Island Dreaming. Who knows I may do a third one before I am happy with it. I do need to plan a little better. Ah the challenges of watercolor. Ultimately i lightened up the purple orange at the bottom and added some cobalt.

The beginning of the Palm trees. A mix of cad yellow light and Quin gold.

Juicy colors. The fun of watercolor is letting it do the playing. Of course the purple did not stay that dark darn it.

One more detail just to tease you. Will post the whole thing tomorrow. I think I used every green I own painting the palms and a few that I made.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 358 Those Palm trees

July 1, 2015Leave a comment

been trying to paint Palm trees again not sure how successfully. I tend to get heavy handed with them or get too heavy with the darks. Then I have to lift some of the darks. No wait ALOT of the darks. Thank goodness this is on Fabriano.

I under painted a lot of the trees and the building with light yellow. The green is Daniel smith green apatite. The purple is mineral Violet.

My favorite detail because I like the way the colors blended and a lot of lights. Cobalt mineral Violet and cad orange blended for the darks.

Colors used. Lots of mineral Violet and cad orange a fun combo when painted wet on wet. There’s a lot of orange made with Quin gold and Quin red too. It’s not opaque like the cad orange is.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 348- Key West Dreaming Part Two

June 23, 2015June 23, 2015Leave a comment

One of my favorite sketches. All things Key West. Chickens, motor scooters, Blue Heaven, palm tree, sea shells and a beachy drink. This was drawn in pencil and added to as inspiration hit starting with the scooter.

Zany celebrations abound in Key West. The dachshund parade which was around one square block followed by a chihuahua flash mob!! Next trip Hemongway look alike contest to celebrate his birthday. Can’t wait to sketch hairy old men and mustacheoed young men a la Hemingway.

Banyan trees fascinate me. One is so enormous there are shops inside it and a sidewalk.

A view down the street towards the Custom house I think. One of my fav sketches. Love that tall towering Palm.

A few more Key West sketches tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 348- Key West Dreaming Part Two

June 22, 2015June 22, 20152 Comments

Banyan trees fascinate me. One is so enormous there are shops inside it and a sidewalk.

A view down the street towards the Custom house I think. One of my fav sketches. Love that tall towering Palm.

A few more Key West sketches tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 347 – Key West Dreaming

June 21, 2015Leave a comment

We are off to Key West for fun and sketching in a few weeks. I know we are going to be eating at a lot of great restaurants.

Key West A sunny place for shady people!!

El Meson de Pepe. Lots of atmosphere but the margaritas were weak and the conch fritters rubber.

Blue Heaven aptly named. The food is amazing. Atmosphere funky with loads of chickens who beg.

My review of Blue Heaven. A definite we shall return.

The double page spread.

If being wrapped in palms is cozy the Bistro on Duval is a must. Food was ok. Great waitress. Great atmosphere. Killer deserts.

Watercolor and ink in a moleskine landscape watercolor book.

Hopefully more tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

Margaret xxx

Day 344 practicing Palm trees.

June 18, 2015Leave a comment

Besame Mucho, Key West

Been painting all day. Color me exhausted. Stayed up til 2 am reading. Three paintings today. Trying out different paper.

The first two went so well decided to proactive my nemesis palm trees and the other one BuShEs😜. If u r going to paint in Key West u better be able do a decent Palm.

How to paint a descent Palm. I usually loose my lights. I painted the Palm area first with a light yellow. And then did negative painting in blue greens Inathridone blue and even Quin red and mineral Violet. I did a simile thing with the trees behind the house. But did I do it with the bushes?! NoPe!!

Lifting. Have had a super deluxe bee sketchbook for a while. I bought it because a great watercolor book I have More Joy of Watercolor by David Lyle Millard($4 on amazon!!!) said it was great for watercolor. He’s right. It is. You can lift off color so easily. Found myself doing that over and over. It likes washes. And it’s not exorbitant in price because the paper is fairly thin 93

Super paper. I did one earlier today on it with wash after wash. It’s now just about flat. Something I can’t say about other popular sketchbook papers of simile weight.

I lifted the light green Palm fronds on the right middle of the tree below. It was too easy. They are repainted light green in the photo below.

I got the Palm but what happened to the bushes. Did I say I love white gouache?! When all else fails gouache it. I do hope one day to get where I never touch that stuff but in the meantime I need stock in it.
I also lifted the bushes. And the guys left arm. This paper lifts clean as a whistle. It’s smooth as a baby’s bottom so would be great for colored pencils. If u check the seal it says it works with all medias. Guess I shall try it out. No pastels though. Messy.