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

Day 195 Out the Window

September 24, 2020Leave a comment

I should add an egret cruising in to this drawing. There are at least 100 egrets cruising in now to roost under the windows in the trees that I didn’t draw in this sketch.

Micro uniball stillman and birn Alpha

Trying to remember to do a focal point while u sketch and let the rest go as background and foreground is not easy. I tried.

Of course the egrets are on the side of the trees away from the house so u can just see a dab of white here and there. Truly there are at least 100. I just saw 25 land in quick succession. Then they sit in the trees and clack and growl at each other most of the night. Also a few wood storks cruising by. Hard to tell if they are roosting. There. And a youngster or two. No sun tonite or I was going to drive around the lagoon and look at them. Maybe tomorrow evening if it’s sunny. I took this one thru the screen on my rooms cute little porch. Did I say it needs a rocker or two?!

Spent the morning at the Serpentatium. Always interesting.

Margaret putting her feet up for the day. Xoxoxox

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 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.

Kitty taming coming up tomorrow. Aren’t they adorable?

Top-Bottom

Tiger 1 or 2 (twins), Blackie and Halley short for Halloween kitty. Her twin sister is Weenie. 🤣

Xoxoxoxo Margaret Tahred from shopping hauling groceries upstairs and then washing them all. Endless washing washing washing.

😘

Day 181 – Value Sketching

September 10, 20202 Comments

Today I took another fascinating Zoom online class with Vlad Yesilesev in Value Sketching today. He always does one before he paints a scene or a photo.

These value sketches will be used for this months paint alongs on Sunday afternoons.

He says a value sketch determines your Composition and Value which are the most important things in any painting.

After you determine your Composition you do Value with the highest contrast in your focal point with lightest and darkest. There will also be more detail in this area. NEVER copy a photo.

It does not have to be pretty.

So here’s what we did today. The photo. Kind of Ho hum boring.

Cortez Fl Cottage cropped. changed a lot hasn’t it??!

The value sketch. The Adirondack chair is the focal point. I think these things are really cool. That chair just really pops when you see it in person.

Venice

Cropped.

You can highlight what you want to like that great arches bridge.

Provence

This one was not cropped.

My value sketch. Now to try to do this on my own before I forget how. So little time and so much to do.

Margaret putting her feet up for now. Xoxoxo

Day 162 Out My back door

August 23, 2020Leave a comment

Scribbling the birds eating and the lush greenery from all the rain.

No pencil in this sketch. Just using the Caran D’ache Neocolor ii crayons which are a lot of fun.

May hit this with water. The colors will really pop but it would loose all the scribbley lines which I like. What to do what to do. Stay tuned.

Caran d’ache Neocolor ii stillman and birn Alpha

Margaret off to Laguna Beach CA to paint with Vlad Yesilesev. You should come too. Get ready for paint to fly. Xoxoxo Have a wonderful Sunday.

Day 161 a spot of urban sketching

August 23, 2020Leave a comment

While I was out running a few errands yesterday.

Love this old red pickup. If it had power steering I would buy one I think. Big enough to carry everything you need! It sits outside a vintage store near me. I drove by it all the time and admire it.

The sketch. Lamy Ef I think.

Caran d’ache neocolor ii stillman and birn

Margaret ready for bed. Xoxoxo

Day 158 Update

August 19, 2020May 19, 2021Leave a comment

The Finger Lakes Upstate NY

Fabriano 300# rough 15×22″Paint alongs with Vladislav Yesileyev

Done. I lost a lot of whites and can be almost impossible to get back.

Had fun drawing white lines on it with my white pentel gel pen. It easily lays down a really white covering line. If it’s not getting entered in a Watercolor Show doesn’t matter if it’s gouache or gel pen does it?! Yesterday. I added ALOT OF DARKS today and tried to finish the water. A few more windows and darker ones bigger shadows more shadows. Greyes the power pole down. Built a fence and a dock well sort of.