Day 132 Run Away to Fredericksburg Maryland

July 14, 2020May 19, 20217 Comments

Vlad is back feeling better after his brief encounter with Covid. Thank goodness he’s better. Wear your masks people!!

Tomorrow we are painting the Royal Opera Cafe in Paris. Who doesn’t love Paris?!! You can sign up here.

At this point. I think I am done though I may work on the crosswalk some. No idea how I got it so wonky but I did. Also think the people looks like the walking dead all coming for us. Rofl

Otherwise love it. Finally discovered how to make trees have a lacy edge. Miracles do happen. You just need a VERY dry brush. And that might be my favorite sky I have ever done.

First wash. Kind of like the white cloud behind the church spires.

Heading down the road. I think this was wet when I took the pic. It dried a lot lighter.

Anyway it’s a wrap. Just needs a siggie.

Margaret whose allergies have been beserck. Xoxoxo kerchooo

Day 128 The Prince of Key West

July 10, 20202 Comments

The Key West Prince. Fun way to pass a few hours. May have to try another one of these. Possibly make some prints?? This was done while Drawing with Danny Gregory and Gigi Chen today which was fascinating. Gigi Chen is adoreable and amazingly talented.

Among the many types of art she does are amazing pen drawings of people and birds. You can catch a class with her next weekend July 18 with Sketchbookskool.com/workshops

She uses ink pen to do hers. I used gel pens because I had bought some a while back from amazon to use for Vlads class.

The prince is done with Pentel gel pens primarily orange white navy and a fav of purple and gold plus a fine sepia Pitt pen and a red Academy pilot pen. No red gel pen. Done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. One more page!!! Wooohooo. New one waiting.

Worked on this one a bit today. Added some sidewalk cracks and took the white out of the big street light.

Some black on the bottom left.

#chicken

#rooster #keywest #pen #gelpen #sketchbookskool #drawingwithdanny #dailydrawing #artjournal #ink #chicken #chook #rooster #keywest #florida

Day 120 The View from where

June 30, 2020Leave a comment

I sit. Lamy Ef and Namiki Fude. Trying out different effects that the Fude can do. Lots of smudging.

Meant to post yesterday but completely forgot while packing to go to the cabin. This is the story of the black snake. He’s in the Apple tree in the foreground. Slithered off the porch where I am all the way over to the tree in a half an hour or so.

Out my back window with pencil. One of those cheap pencils u can get in a box of 12 at staples.

Stillman and Birn Alpha. Xoxoxo

The view from where I sat and drew today. You can rent it on VRBO Sweetwater Flyfishing camp. Bytw my son and grandson pulled five trout out of the river in a half an hour today. One was a foot long rainbow. Yummm.

One of six waterfalls at Sweet Water. This is at the fishing and swimming pool. The rest are big ones.

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 118 Quayside in Croatia

June 29, 2020May 19, 20214 Comments

with Vlad Yesilesev on a paint along today. Paint and paint brushes flying.

Maybe done. Think so. Quarter sheet 300# fabriano rough aka 11×14″ Dont we wish we could hop on a jet and go there??!

The photo

Sketch with first washes. Yellow ochre cobalt blue and alizarin

Sorry for the blurry pic. I tried to unblur but nope. Not working.

Lots of white gouache highlights. Masts and other dark lines done with the saber brush. I should have blotted it more. An interesting way to spend the afternoon.

All in all I like it.

Margaret Xoxoxox

Day 109 Cumberland

June 23, 20202 Comments

Half sheet Fabriano. 300#

Took a day long online class from Vlad yesterday. Have to say it was the best class EVER and I have two masters aka taken a lot of classes.

The photo

I have taken classes from some great art teachers Charles Reid and John Salimen who I would take more from if they were on line. Vlad just shares all his knowledge and the man knows ALOT!

I have had some teachers that spent the class trying to sell you their stuff. Annoying and not what I paid for. I have had other teachers that don’t tell you all the info to do what you are trying to do. Also annoying. I have had teachers who never explain things only demo and then want to fix your painting when he doesn’t like what you did. Annoying and NOT helpful.

Value study. Kinda like it a lot.

the sketchFirst wash.

He showed us how to do the sky. His approach is quite interesting. Three four colors all wet on wet. Lotsa water. Let it dry. I defy you to reproduce this sky.

Onto the next layers

The class was very interactive. We could talk to him and he could see what we were doing one at a time. I learned a lot. I even learned some new things about perspective. Two points. The vanishing point and the point of sight lines from the person taking the picture.

Jamie Oliver’s ez pizza and scones from his YouTube. His pizza is a dump pizza. Use what u have and the toppings I ised were delicious. Was not fond of the crust. Will use yeast dough next time and yes I will do it again. There’s also a very tasty pot of his minestrone soup from YouTube.

Then I cooked all morning today and painted all afternoon. So tired I can barely type.

Day 112 Piedmont Park Atlanta

June 23, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

A beginning but lots left to do. The gazebo on Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park. Did not like it at all when I went to bed last nite but today in daylight I do. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

The photo. It’s a popular spot where the ducks teem to get fed. The value sketch. Ready to be hung at the Louvre🤣. Wasn’t sure I wanted boats. They aren’t allowed in the lake but I went with the flow. We always do these first w a 2B pencil and cheap printer paper on a clip board.

The sketch. Rough 300# Fabriano. No more Arches for me. Sorry for the bad photo. Can not improve it. I tried. Drawn w an hb pencil.

First wash. Colors used yellow ochre cobalt blue alizarin dioxizine purple.

I was not suppose to leave all the white in the water. Trying to follow him who is painting lightening fast and cover a half sheet. Groan. I did use my big size 16 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. But still. I do better for details like leaving white columns on the gazebo and making them straight with my 14 kolinsky from Cheap Joes. In my next life I am getting a Raphael or Windsor Newton. Hmm maybe I should try my mop next time.

Moving onto darker colors. But still very sheer. I have to admit painting with Vlad is like running a road race always trying to catch up with the number one runner. Leaves me worn out but in a good way.

How it looked when I quit for the day.

Ok more colors used golden ochre cobalt turquoise. Neutral tint made from indigo burnt sienna and doxizine purple. Adding white coach’s for lost highlights. Still need to do.

Half the trick is learning to use those pesky perla escodas and that saver brush. Vlad now sells his own brand for $89 from Rosemarys brushes but I have two sets of the Perlas so will wait til I wear them out. Some kind of synthetic fibers. I don’t think u can do the dry brush with my much loved kolinsky sable and I would NOT touch my Charles Reid kolinsky da Vinci on this rough paper. I don’t want to destroy it with the texture.

And I know you can’t do those I the tiny details w a kolinsky sable. The sabers have a wobble to them that makes interesting lines. Controlling them well that’s another thing. They really shine on tree branches and railings. Light posts. Power lines. They make graceful lines.

Top two brushes are the sabers. I use the green handled one a Loosey Goosey from Cheap Joes the most. Then three Perlas. Hmm I have four. 8 10 12 14. Got them dirt cheap on amazon. And my two Cheap Joes Kolinsky sables.

The tree Branch is done with the saber brush. An odd paint brush that does hold a ton of water despite it being synthetic. Right now I am trying to decide if the tree branch needs more work. Maybe?!! It is done with the saber brush.

Margaret who needs to quit goofing off make some bread and paint paint paint. Xoxox

Day 110 Done

June 21, 2020May 19, 20219 Comments

Been finishing up assorted paintings. Amazes me how the details can make them really pop. Cumberland half sheet 300 # rough Fabriano so many paint alongs with Vladislav YesileyevCottage Arles, France 10×15″ 300# rough FabrianoGrand Canal Venice 15×15″ 300# rough Fabriano Roofs of Parafuegal, France 10×15″ 300# rough Fabriano

Laguna Beach, California 10×15″ 300# rough Fabriano

I am beginning to make myself tired with all this painting. Three more to finish up still. 😫😫😫

Margaret going to bed now. Xoxox

Day 107 Thinking about it

June 17, 2020May 19, 20212 Comments

Golden Hour, Arles France today. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev. Really don’t like alizarin in the foreground. Thinking I can grey it by adding green. And that’s why I wrote thinking about it.

Foreground was yellower til I tried to fix the red by adding green to it. Now why didn’t I think that alizarin red and green is a classic combo for a grey to a black depending on the water.

The Photo kinda nondescript

Also DO NOT alike how the arches paper kept drying out. Since humidity is 82% should NOT be happening. I was wrong it buckled like crazy in any wet wash. Hmmm. If I redo I will be using Fabriano definitely.

Value study. Ready to hang in the Louvre. Lol.

First wash

Lotsa yellow but darn that alizarin. Someone asked Vlad about if alizarin was light fast. He said he didn’t know. Mine is. If you buy permanent alizarin it is light fast. Sky wash next. Cerulean goes everywhere. Some darks on the trees.

Background Trees are in. Should never have sprayed them with my mister. Yuck. The other reason I may do a redo.

Overall I really like the look of it. Love the glow of the building and the guys coming in from the field. I wanted an old guy snoozing by the doorway. I read a book about a guy who lived I S France where Arles is and he snoozed near the front door.

I can always crop out most of the nasty alizarin. Too bad it’s permanent I could put it out in the sun and it would fade away in a few months. Sigh.

Excited the paint along with Vlad Yesilesev is Piedmont Park. My sons will throw down over who gets it. I may keep it. I love Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Mechanical (Botanical) Garden as Livie calls it.

Won’t be using NO nasty Arches. Why did they sell out to Canson who ruined it. 😫😫😫

If you would like to take a face to face class with Vlad he’s teaching in gorgeous Cashiers, NC next months. I signed up. Hope it makes. They still need a few more people.

Margaret ready to put her feet up. Xoxoxo

Day 106 Laguna Beach redo

June 16, 2020May 19, 20213 Comments

Here it is. Better I think except that one umbrella. The blue one needs something.

Here’s the sketch. I painted on Arches rough 12×16″ 140 lb. Blaming it for my stripey sky exactly what Vlad said it would do but it was easier to draw on than my rough Fabriano.

Hmm I just realized it was flat as flitter whole time I painted on it. So not all bad.

Also like the not quite so prominent palms even though I am a big palm tree fan. So many kinds of every shape. They are fascinating.

I also added a few more darks to this. Signed ready for the framer.

Before I added some more darks. I liked it a lot when it was like this but I like it even better now.

And this one. Added more darks. Think I am putting it over my bed so I can have dreams of returning to Paris one day soon. Finishing Paint alongs with Vladislav Yesileyev