Painting The Space Upstairs

You may recognize this scene from my earlier post, The Value of a Value Study, about creating a monochromatic study of this photo taken in The Space Upstairs dance studio in Pittsburgh.

I used this value study to help me lay out the values of the final painting.

I began the painting with a pencil sketch.  When I had laid out all the shapes and gotten the geometry of each object correct, I began laying in washes.

I started with the lighter values, but added in some of the darker values and details to get a sense of the contrast and depth of the painting.

I slowly added more definition.

I paid attention to the values within areas of detail. 

By representing those values, I created a sense of that feature.  

For instance, the briefcase (brown towards the bottom) doesn't have any fine brush marks, 

but I did look carefully at where the shadows on the handle and the latches were, 

and tried to create those values.

The stacks of papers on the briefcase had much more detail in them than I included in my painting, 

but I decided that I wanted other parts of the painting to be the focus.

The final painting is my homage to The Space Upstairs and its magical creativity.

Many thanks to Pearlann Porter, Artistic Director of The Space Upstairs for the inspiration!

Watercolor Sketching

 

A simple wash or two can tell a story if you express the values you see.  This was a quick demonstration for a plein air watercolor class I held recently.

I splashed in cool and warm greens, added shadows, and incorporated the wild grasses in the field.  Finishing with Derwent Inktense pencils to express some of the weeds in the foreground, and the hickory tree gave a sense of the place. 

I may add more detail to this sketch, or I may leave it as it is, a reminder of a lovely, sunny summer day spent with other artists creating in nature.

I hope you take 15 minutes this week to sketch a scene that catches your eye!

Armchair Travel Painting Part 2: Remote Cabin

In an earlier post, I described the inspiration I took from YouTuber Steve Wallis and his video Overnight in Remote Cabin.  

The cozy wooden cabin that Steve spent the night in inspired me to create this journal sketch just after watching his video.  The warmth of the planks of wood siding, by lamplight, and Steve's joy in finding the cabin, all called out to be painted in watercolor.

Many thanks for the inspiration, Steve!

Armchair Travel Painting

I'm a big fan of YouTuber Steve Wallis from Camping with Steve. Last night I watched his most recent video Overnight in Remote Cabin.  

Steve's delight in spending the night in a charming cabin in the Canadian wilderness triggered my creativity and I made two sketches in my journal inspired by his video.

I stopped the video at 14:31, and used it as a reference.

I mixed Phthalo Blue with Permanent Blue Violet, and a little Ultramarine Blue to paint the sky, and dabbed out lighter clouds with a paper towel.  

I created the tree line along the lake by mixing Ultramarine Blue & Permanent Blue Violet with very little water to make deeper, darker values.

I mixed the darker "black" areas of the painting with Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna.

A little Phthalo Blue, Winsor Blue and Permanent Blue Violet created the still lake water.

I finished with the near edge of the lake and one of the two trees in the video scene. 

When the tape was pulled away, the neat edges created a postcard look, as if I were really there swatting mosquitoes rather than in my cozy studio.

Many thanks to Steve Wallis for his adventuresome videos, and for sharing his love of camping!

A Watercolor Sketch A Day Brings ... Delight!

I've been painting in my sketch book at the kitchen counter at breakfast, and looking out the window to the trees outside.  I begin by finding one area that fascinates me. Here, it was that deep shadowy bit in the bottom left area of the trees. I paint directly on the paper without a pencil sketch and expand my painting out from there.  

Simply practicing, exploring, playing in my sketchbook brings ...

New discoveries
A low-impact way to learn how to put on paper what I see
Better brush skills
Joy
A meditation on nature, color & stillness
Artwork to prop in my studio to remind me I'm an artist.

What would painting or drawing at the breakfast table bring for you?
What little moments of down time in your life can you fit artistic explorations and peace into?

Augusta the Fairy

We recently had a photo shoot with a professional traveling model named Augusta Monroe.  

She was wonderful to work with and created beautiful poses in wooded scenes. 

I used a photo from our shoot as a reference to draw this image in my sketchbook, 

giving model Augusta a pair of fairy wings.

Using a piece of tracing paper, I traced over the sketchbook drawing to transfer the image to watercolor paper. 

Then I colored on the back of the tracing paper with a 4B graphite pencil, and 

taped the drawing onto watercolor paper.  I traced over the main lines of the drawing, leaving behind a faint image on the watercolor paper to work from.

I laid in washes of color, and layered on detail.

I used Winsor & Newton watercolor paper in a block,

so I didn't have to tape my paper down.

I finished the image by adding tree branches in the background with Inktense colored pencils, and touching up details on Augusta's face.

Why not give this process a try?

  

Start with a photo you like, and make drawings in a sketchbook.

The pressure is off when you're just sketching for fun.

When you create a design you like, trace and transfer it to a sheet of better paper.

You can paint with watercolors, or use colored pencils, markers, or whatever medium you enjoy.

Let your imagination roam free on the page, and remember: 

You're not a camera creating photorealistic images.  

You're an artist creating expressive works!

I hope you make time for art in your schedule this week; you're worth it!

Here are two images of Augusta Monroe that you are welcome to use as reference photos to create artworks from.

Many thanks to model Augusta Monroe for her creative work!

The Value of a Value Study

I am still feeling inspired by my visit to The Space Upstairs.

I decided to have a play with making a simple value study of this scene.

I used a vintage Multigraph pencil to make my value study, and a water brush pen to wet the pigment and let it flow.

A value study helps you to decide how to compose a final painting, allowing you to see where the high contrast in values will fall.  

The high contrast parts of the scene catch the viewer's eye.  

Making sure that your painting has contrasting values around the focal point creates a stronger composition, one that draws the viewer in.

And creating a value study is just another way to play with your art supplies, fill a sketch book, and get practice with no pressure.

You're just making a study. 

I hope you have a play with value studies some time soon!

Inspiration from a Bookshelf

Last week, I assisted with a photoshoot in The Space Upstairs, a vintage warehouse turned dance studio in the East End of Pittsburgh.  

The vast open spaces, burnished wood floors, & eclectic furnishings were curated by creative visionary Pearlann Porter, head of The Pillow Project dance company. 

I've never really felt inspired by interior furnishings as a watercolor subject, but The Space Upstairs enchanted me from the moment I walked up the creaky wooden stairs.

I felt like a kid in a magical playhouse.  And this bookshelf was the most spellbinding part of the scene.

I painted this sketch from the photo below.

I love the way that Pearlann Porter's creative expression sparked inspiration for me, 

and I'm sure countless others.

When we follow our own creative vision and push past the doubts, 

we lift others around us and shed light on their journey.

May you pursue your creative passions!

Watercolor Explorations with Model Rikki

In the final session of my Watercolor Explorations class with Osher at CMU, we had the privilege of painting model Rikki.

We began the session with 4 gesture poses of 5 minutes each.  I invited everyone to make quick watercolor sketches using only one color.  Of course, I couldn't help myself, and added Ultramarine Blue to my Cadmium Red washes!

Rikki's gestures were wonderfully expressive.

By the last one, I felt like I was tuning in to her proportions, especially in her face.

After a break for Rikki, we practiced mixing skin tones, and

I demonstrated the process of composing the making a pencil sketch, then erasing any dark lines, and laying in the first washes.

Each of us experimented with composition, color, shapes, light & shadows to create our own version of Rikki.  Below is my painting from class.

Here is David's painting.  Notice how his expression of the shadows on Rikki's face, her dress, & the drape over her chair create a feeling of dimension and depth.  What a remarkable development for a new watercolorist!

 

Many thanks to our wonderful model, Rikki!

Summer Fountain

Summer greens, sparkling water trickling in a fountain, and sunlit fern fronds caught my artist's eye, and I grabbed my nature journal. 

A quick pencil sketch let me lay out the fountain and main elements. 

Washes with my Winsor & Newton travel watercolor kit established the scene.  

I let the first washes dry, and added details in the fountain, ferns and shadows.  

Finishing details were added with a Winsor & Newton 0.8 fineliner.

The only way to build & maintain skills as an artist is to create routinely -- every day, if possible.

It doesn't matter what you paint, or draw, as long as you play with your supplies frequently.

Try asking yourself questions like, "What parts of this scene do I like the best?  What are the important parts for me to express?"

These questions will help you define your approach.

I don't love every watercolor sketch I make, but I learn each time I pick up my brushes. 

The more I create, the less pressure I feel to make each artwork "pretty."

I'm still learning to simplify my scene and to make brush strokes that feel natural and good to me. 

This sketch was a way to practice those things.

Here's a photo of the scene I worked from.  If it appeals to your artist's eye, I hope you'll make a painting or sketch from it!