I think it’s finally done. You never know. I always reserve the right to add to them. I do love to pile up sketches. Then I can sit down with my own personal “coloring ” book and paint or color the pages. This one is actually done with watercolor pencils. About twenty different colors.

Tea dyed

Don’t ask me which ones. I know I used ultramarine blue cobalt blue cobalt blue green shade and green gold. I also used several different purples. Finally found a really dark purple to use for the shadows.

the plain page

Since I tea dyed the page earlier I may have roughed up the surface. It did not take well to the watercolor pencil. These alphas LOVE plain watercolor but the pencils would not make a smooth wash on it. Or maybe it was the tea.

I also dropped some blue pencil shavings on the page just to see what would happen. Intensified the color but didn’t leave little spots like I hoped it would.

That’s about it.

Margaret xoxoxo ready to have another nap today. Xoxoxo

#Fernbank #dinosaur #dino #atlanta #decatur #sbsadrawingaday #dailydrawing #artjournal #art #travel #stillmanandbirn #watercolor #aquarelle #ink #art #artist #painting #usk #urbansketcher #urbanskerchers #georgia

Good when they hold still so you can draw them with some accuracy.

This is going to be short because I have a killer headache and am going to try to take a nap. NO I am NOT getting that scourge that’s going round. I refuse.

Been trying to draw a finished portrait all morning and I am blaming it. I think it’s done but who knows. I keep tweaking it. Even the sunlight is making my head hurt. Silly on such a cold cold day.

Colors used. Quin gold and sienna. Ultramarine blue cerulean quin rose pyrrole red.

Nap time.

Margaret xoxoxo

#CaptainAmerica #portrait #sketching #drawings #art #artist #ink #dailydrawing #stillmanandbirn #grandkids #henry #noodler #watercolor #aquarelle #allaprima

He may get more cross hatching but at least he looks right now.

Here’s how he looked earlier. That left front leg was too far down and was making him laugh ok Fat which he’s really not. He’s muscly like most pit bulls but not fat.

Time to get busy painting. Looks so much better painted.

Margaret worn out from unloading her car aka walking up and down three stories carrying her stuff.

#instadogs #dogs #pittie #pitbull #watercolor #aquarelle #terrier #art #painting #atlanta #chien #decatur #allaprima #ink #sbsadrawingaday #stillmanandbirn #lamysafari #uniball

Can’t believe I had time to draw any part of what we call brontosaurus that is in the Fernbank Rotunda but I had given up chasing my grandchildren around and Henry loves it when I draw. They actually have different names- argentisaurus, Giganotosaurus, Anhanguera and pterodaustri.

I toned the page just now with a tea bag. The African Nectar one that I got at Kavarna Saturday. I rewet it. Still plenty of tea in it. Maybe I will make another cup of tea with it.

This is the brontosaurus being chased by a T rex. I should have drawn the T rex but couldn’t find a seat where I could see it and I needed a seat by then.

There are also several smaller flying dinos near the brontosaurus’s head.

Shot of the Rose Bowl yesterday where the kids parents have been at the UGa OK game. I am so glad the right team won since I am the one who told them to go and I would babysit. Who knows when UGa might be in the Rose Bowl again!?

Lucky ducks also got to go to the Rose parade and had bleacher seats.

Margaret xoxoxo whose beginning to feel like she lives in Atlanta or Decatur this month.

#fernbank #atlanta #georgia #brontosaurus #stillmanandbirn #skeleton #usk #urbansketchers #ink

I didn’t realize yesterday what my 1150 consecutive day of daily posting on my website. I even posted from aboard a Viking riverboat on the Seine and in Paris. Oh on the Sunshine Parkway as we drove to Key West too. Lol 😂

< strong>The Tale of the Livias. A very popular name in our family but this is Livia I named after Augustus Caesars wife when my son Ben was watching a Sir Derek Jacobi series I Claudius an old BBC masterpiece series. Sir Derek was a young man in it.

Continue reading →

Al 17×22″ hotpress 300# fabriano. Luscious paper.

The head shot. Now to get him entered in Ga Watercolor show. And into Splash. Thought the Splash deadline had passed but tomorrow is the drop dead day. Who knew.

The palette I used loaded with Ted Nuttalls palette colors. The paint brushes I used. See yesterday’s post for the kinds of brushes.

Ted Nuttalls palette colors. The only colors I can use and get a fairly transparent light watercolor with. If I don’t use these colors I get heavy handed and go to the dark side. I did replace Antwerp blue with cobalt which is a transparent watercolor that he doesn’t use. No idea why.

Terrible photo taken with my iPhone 8 Plus. Way too dark!!

Just a curious question. Anyone else having trouble with their IPhone 8. I have the plus and it’s been nothing but a pain since I got it. This is his head taken with my iPhone. Thank goodness I had my iPad Air with me or I would never have gotten a decent photo. It’s way too dark and I could not get it lighten up in the photo ap.

This one was taken with my big canon and it’s far too red which is why I finally whipped out my iPad.

Seriously how much did this phone cost?! A fortune. And for photos NOT to work is a big RED X on it for me. Also my messages never ding when they come in no matter how much I try google suggestions.

#hotpress #fabriano #watercolor #watercolorpainting #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #atlanta #aiken #usca #portrait #aquarelle #stilllife #al # #mgrahamwatercolors #fabriano #danielsmith #winsornewton #portrait #transparent #300lbs

#hotpress

Got to get this entry done. Painting this picture to enter in the Georgia Watercolor National show whose deadline is any day now. And I have been procrastinating. I should have started yesterday gotten up early to get the 300lb hot press Fabriano watercolor paper. Did I? Nope. Had lunch with a friend. Then about 2 I hit the art stores Sam Flaxs and Binders on Piedmont.

300 lb or 140 lb hot press Fabriano is lovely gorgeous paper that the Italians have been making since the 1200s. Blick at 7th and Peachtree did not have a piece of the 300 # last Saturday so they are part of the procrastination problem. I now have plenty of each.

Here’s the sketch. About 17×22″. Drawn with an HB pencil.

The set up on a table in my sons man cave. Packing paper is great for protecting a table.

Using Ted Nuttalls palette because I want it transparent as possible.

Here’s the paint in one of my travel palettes. Normally I would put all the reds together but somehow I skipped them. Duh

My weapons. Mostly Isabeys and the big ones are Cheap Joes Legends because the Isabeys would cost $220 plus for sable. The ones at the bottom are my favorites including my very favorite the #10 Davinci Sable.

Missing the flesh color. French Yellow ochre and alizarin permanent with LOTS of water.

The palette closed up seals. The cute little spray bottle is really great for lugging around. Bigger ones add a lot of water weight.

Als face with the first wash.

And I also did a wash over the hands and arm.

Some lunch then back to painting.

Hugs Margaret whose also making turkey soup. Yum. Xoxoxo

Got to get this entry done. #al # #watercolor #watercolour #watercolourpainting #aquarelle #fabriano #danielsmith #winsornewton #portrait #transparent #300lbs

#hotpress