Art by Wendy: February 2020

Feb 27, 2020

Preparing for the "BIG SHOW" - Painting & Drawing Tips

OMG!! Less than Two weeks till Show Day!

Where did the time go?

I had tons of time when the date was set. Now, suddenly Show Day is nearly here.

The West Fine Art Show: set up in 2019

This is a very Strange time for Artists . . .

For the last few months, I have been in Creation Mode. Painting. Drawing. Putting Ideas together for new works. 'Tis the days we artists live for'. Tremendous feelings of success as each new work is finished. Playing in my studio. Trying new methods.

But those days are over . . .

My brushes are down. The studio light is off. My computer and charts have taken over. A new kind of planning begins.

You would think that after entering over 100+ shows, putting a booth together would be a quick fix. Not so. . . Every show is different. . . Each has its own little quirks.

Every Show Site has its own Quirks: Having great lighting has certain requirements (2019 set up)

Most show spaces are 10 x 10. Some provide stuff. Some don't. For this show provided wall panels, lighting and a hanging system. It's awesome. Standard black walls for all the booths, beautiful lighting that show your work off to perfection. And a hanging system that works great if you have large pictures. Some of my pictures are large but you know how much I love small things too. I have some 8 x 10 groupings and even a set of three 5 x 7 wood blocks that I want to show. Pre-planning is a must.

It will take all the artists 3 hours to set up the booths

But my first question is "What to take?"

Like any artist, I have more pieces then a 10 x 10 booth will hold. Who gets to come and who stays home. I have several things in mind:

1. Who will be coming to the show? What are there interests? For example, should I focus on domestic animals or wild ones.

Everyone has to learn how to install and connect.

2. Planning the space: What furniture will I need? Is there any furniture provided? Any restrictions as to 'how full' your space can be?

3. What is the hanging system? How will my pictures work with it? Can I cluster my small pieces?

4. Are there restrictions/requirements for cards, prints and other things?

5. Do I need a 'working space' to demo my work?

Its work to set up but also a time of camaraderie as you meet and natter with all the artists

More diagrams and lists to make. . .

One solution I have found that works for me is to plan each wall before I pack. This helps me visualize how much I can take and how it will look together. I want a spacious gallery feel not a cluttered cleared out my studio look.

Side wall Practice Set Up (2019): Need to take measurements as well to speed up the hanging process on site.

With this venue I also need to keep the hanging system in mind. It is long cables with clamps on it so my big pieces do well but the smaller ones need extra reinforcement so they don't dangle. Also clusters need to be vertical not horizontal.

Side Wall set up on site (2019) - Looks good but I felt it was a little crowded. I will change it up a bit this year.

Well I better get back to work. Organizing for a show takes time. I am glad to have records and pictures from last year. It does help in this year's planning.

Come and see the results of all this planning. I look forward to sharing my work with you.

Further Reading
Stories about some of the new show pieces:

The Trouble with Photo References - working on my Short-eared Owl: On the Prowl

Painting with Dirty Water - the story behind my horses in Pick Of the Herd

Feb 20, 2020

The Trouble with Photo References - Painting and Drawing Tips

It was one of our West Coast Snow Days.
2 - 3 inches of snow on the ground, cloudy sky and rain ready to fall to wipe out the snow.

SHORT-EARED OWL: ON THE PROWL - Nearly ready for my Up Coming Show on March 6-8

I was out in the park with my grand-kids. I snapped a few pictures. They were Awesome. (Well, they are my grand-kids). But really they were good. The lighting was just right. No shadows, great colour, wonderful clarity. The portraits I took were soooo cute. I was thrilled.

But they were No good for drawing or painting . . . .

Why not?? No Shadows. . . .

Take a look at these shots of a young barred owl. My grandson found him on the trail and took me out to see him. It was really neat to see this young owl just sitting on the branch watching people go by on the trail. I took a few shots of him.

Young Barred Owl on the trail - Photo

Yes, got a clear image. Yes, got lots of details on his feather patterns. You can even see his claws peeking out from his feathers. But there are no shadows. Nothing to give drama to the painting. The painting would be a good rendering of the owl. But nothing to really grab the eye and command its attention.

Take another look at my Short Eared Owl: On the Prowl at the top of my page. Even though he is not finished - Notice how the shadows on his face command your attention. The darks in his feather pattern move your eye down his body but the darks in his face keep you going back to it. This adds a little tension to the picture. Creates a sense of movement. That strong contrast of dark and light on his face commands your eye's attention. These things all add that extra piece of drama.

Maybe you wont want that drama in the drawing of my grandson. He is very cute and could probably hold your attention on his own but for other things you might want more.

Getting shots with that extra bit a drama does take time. Early morning or late in the day are my favourite times. The sun is at an angle and the shadow patterns tend to be more interesting. I do a few test shots and check my angle. Then I click away. You never know when they will move. I found if I wait and wait to click, it is usually too late. Sure clicking end up with lots of shots but . . . they are easy to delete. If I am lucky there will be 1 or 2 I can use.

Once you have the shot, the story doesn't end there. There are other issues to deal with. Often I take my bird or animal and put them into a new setting. And as you suspect, integrating my subject into a new environment has its own problems. If this is part of your story too, I suggest the following for further reading:

Integration Part 2: Art Tip - Multiple Reference Photos - putting your subject 'into' the environment
Getting the RIGHT Reference for you Wildlife Painting - things to think about when selecting a photo to work with

Time for a Photo Shoot - going on a Photo shoot

COMING UP FAST!!!!

March 6-8, 2020 - The West Fine Arts Show
In support of Langley School District Youth Homelessness Initiatives
Friday March 6, 7-9pm Saturday March 7, 11-7pm Sunday, March 8, 11-5pm

Peter Ewart Middle School, 7755 202A St, Langley BC.

Yes, I have teamed up with this great show event: 22 Professional Artists, Awesome Art, a show you shouldn't miss. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Art by Wendy Studio/Gallery is always Open

Looking to move your Drawing Skills to the Next Level?

Book a 3 Pack of Private Lessons with Me - 3 Lessons 2.5 hr each $225

Drawing/Painting lessons in graphite, ink, watercolour, watercolour pencils or coloured pencils Or any combination of these.
Flexible Schedule, at my Studio/Gallery, N. Surrey.

Gift Certificates Available

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, Prints, Commission Work and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

Be sure to like and share my posts to keep me coming into your box,

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Feb 13, 2020

Painting with Dirty Water - Painting and Drawing Tips

OMG! It was my turn to putt.

Fast greens, sloping to the left, 10 ft to the hole. Not easy.

There was no way I could use a full swing. Not even a half swing. Or a quarter swing. We're talking only a nudge. Then wait and hope. . .

Isn't that just like painting with dirty water?. . . .

PICK OF THE HERD - Watercolour. Matted to 16 x 20, $500

When painting with watercolour there are all kinds of way to describe the mix of pigment to water. A really thick mix, so dry it barely moves. A rich creamy mix like thick cream. (The full swing) A slightly thinner mix like milk. (The half swing) Then there is the thinner mix like weak tea - the quarter swing. But dirty water, that is a very thin mix of pigment to water - THE NUDGE.

Looking at my horses in 'The Pick of the Herd" you might think I definitely didn't need dirty water to paint them. But actually you might be surprised. There were times when I was glazing, when I did want to nudge the colour a bit and soften the edges. Take a look at the background. That was definitely a case of Dirty Water. Dirty water has many uses in the painting world. (See last post 'Secrets they never told you about glazing with watercolour'.

Notice the test area for my Dirty Water in the background between the horses legs.

How do you make Dirty Water?

Seems easy enough. Mix a bit of pigment with lots of water and away you go. I find that having the right mixing space really makes a big difference. Mixing colours in my palette is fine when I want darks but the subtle light shades can become tinted so easy: bits of pigment in the crevices of the palette; drops of pigment as I move across the palette; colours running from other areas. Not what I want.

Dishes are great to mix colours - note how you can have 2 colours and blend them in various strengths.

My favourite mixing trays are . . . .

From the Dollar Store. They have nice little white porcelain plates 3.5 x 3.5 inches square, that are great. My paints don't bead up, they mix or separate as they want, I can may big puddles or small, and have two colours mixed several different strengths on one little plate. They are easy to clean when I want free clean spot to mix on. They come in different shapes as a lot of them are little sushi dishes. They are awesome for mixing dirty water in large or small quantities.

My dirty water puddle. Remember watercolour dries lighter and will also be diluted more when used wet into wet.

Painting my Background with Dirty Water . . .

In my picture 'The Pick of the Herd', I wanted the silver grays of the Thompson Plateau area in early spring. The horses are out on the range which is warm and arid in summer but after the snow it is silvery grays as the ground wakes up for spring. I wanted to tell that story.

Putting water down first I painted my subtle light grays over the area. While things were still wet I added slightly darker colours to suggest shrubs and bushes. Painting wet into wet meant I would have soft edges and using Dirty Water, kept all the colours muted. I used the same colours as I used on my horses and fences. After everything was dry, I used some dry brushing to put some foliage around the horses.

Further Reading:
Get Those Values Working for You - looks at how values can bring your work depth and mass
6 Stories Your Edges Tell - Looks at the story your hard and soft edges tell in a painting

Art by Wendy Studio/Gallery is always Open

Looking to move your Drawing Skills to the Next Level?

Book a 3 Pack of Private Lessons with Me - 3 Lessons 2.5 hr each $225

Drawing/Painting lessons in graphite, ink, watercolour, watercolour pencils or coloured pencils Or any combination of these.
Flexible Schedule, at my Studio/Gallery, N. Surrey.

Gift Certificates Available

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!

Each February I offer an all day workshops “Let’s Get Your Art Out There!!”
2020 Date: February 23, 10-3pm

Having trouble getting started or knowing where and what to do?

This workshop gets your Marketing Plans fired up to new and more successful levels. Learn the basics of today’s Marketing World, learn how to develop markets both online with Social Media and off line in your community, learn how to develop a productive network, and set up a Marketing Plan that will work for you. Taking this workshop is a valuable step in moving your business forward. Workshop runs 10-3:00 pm with a lunch break. Class limited to 8 people 2 Spots Left

Cost $90 + Tx Pre-Registration Required, contact Wendy Gift Certificates Available

Save the Date . . . . .

March 6-8, 2020 - The West Fine Arts Show. Peter Ewart Middle School, 7755 202A St, Langley BC. Yes, I have teamed up with this great show event: 20 Professional Artists, Awesome Art, a show you shouldn't miss.

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, Prints, Commission Work and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

Be sure to like and share my posts to keep me coming into your box,

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Feb 6, 2020

Secrets they never told you about Glazing with Watercolour - Painting & Drawing Tips

How did you learn to paint?

Few classes. Few books. Some YouTube. Lots of Practice.

That's how I learned too!

PICK OF THE HERD - Work in Progress #3 - Watercolour 12 x 16.

Really its a never ending journey, there is always more things to do and try. I must admit glazing wasn't really something I spent a lot of time with. The book said put down yellow, glaze with blue and you got a green. So what? Now I know, different.

They didn't tell me the Secrets . . .

There is way more to glazing then getting a different shade of green.

When I create my birds and animals I like them to be similar to my drawings. Very lifelike. Feathers and fur soft to touch. With a deep sense of realism. In order to do that in graphite, I need to work in layers. When I moved to watercolour I realized I needed to do the same thing. Layers. Lots of layers.

Suddenly, I was in the World of Glazing and didn't even realize it. As I was blending my edges, fighting to get the right colour, I accidentally glazed. Ooooh! You are probably thinking. Maybe I do that too.

What is glazing?
Glazing is putting a light layer of wash over another colour that is dry. The result is a colour change to the initial colour. Usually this is done with transparent colours. The result is a very transparent look. (ie. the light goes through the pigment to the paper and there is a shine to the area.)

But there is more to glazing than the transparent look . . .

WIP #1: Under-painting for the body - Wet onto dry. (not sure why I did the head first, I just did. A funny place to try out my colours but . . )

Check out the under-painting for 'The Pick of the Herd'. Notice the 3 different areas of his body. I put down only a base colour that I wanted to shine through.

Did you know purple glazed over orange equals brown?

And really interesting browns too. A red purple gives a much different look than a blue purple. (Of course you have to use a mixed purple rather than one straight out of the tube.)

Once I had my base down, I glazed over the areas with different colours. At first I glazed with my warm yellow orange, to darken the colour. Then I started to lay out the markings with darker colours. Then more glazing.

Why all this glazing?

1. Transparency: I wanted my horse to have a transparent look. It seems to give my animals a great sense of mass. I also really like that look. To me his heightens the realistic look I am seeking.

WIP # 2 - Building up the layers on the neck and mid section of the horse. Not the strong red glazed on to the front leg and the lower stomach.

2. Blending: The colour transitions on an animal have to be smooth and blended. By putting the markings on early, it allows the many layers on top to smooth those edges. You can see that the markings on my horse have a smooth transition from dark to light.

3. Add tints of colour: My horse has a redish tone to his coat and I wanted that in the final results. So on many of the transition points of light to dark, I glazed with a red. Light glazes of course. This gave rich redish tones to my golden yellow area. You can see this in the 2nd WIP picture of my horse.

4. Darkening Colour: Of course you can also just keep glazing with the same colours. This will make your colour darker but also gives it a rich tone. The transparency quality gives it depth, giving the horse's hide a softness that makes you want to touch it.

As you work with glazing you will probably think of other ways you use it. It can be in big areas or small. For me though, these are the big 4 ways I use it.

Side Notes:
- It takes many layers to build up your colour.
- Because you are working wet onto dry, you must wait until the layers below are dry. Patients is needed. I work in other areas of the picture while I wait, work on a drawing or fold the laundry.
- You can't fiddle. One or two brush strokes then move on. If you 'work an area' with too many strokes you will lift the paint underneath. Remember, you are only putting on a light layer of pigment so let things dry and try again.
- My Palette for the main horse: Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Rose (for my purple); Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Indian Red (a new colour I was trying out)

Try some glazing. It is really amazing how you can change colours.

Further reading:

Step-by-Step Glazing with Watercolour - a detailed look at how the layers are added
The Secrets of Watercolour Paper - a look at different types of paper and how they will perform when glazing and other types of painting with watercolour.
Watercolour Over Glazes - John Lovett - interesting different colours to glaze with and other uses for it.
Transparent and Opaque Watercolour - DeviantArt - a good discussion on the what and how they can be used.

Art by Wendy Studio/Gallery is always Open

Looking to move your Drawing Skills to the Next Level?

Book a 3 Pack of Private Lessons with Me - 3 Lessons 2.5 hr each $225

Drawing/Painting lessons in graphite, ink, watercolour, watercolour pencils or coloured pencils Or any combination of these.
Flexible Schedule, at my Studio/Gallery, N. Surrey.

Gift Certificates Available

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!

Each February I offer an all day workshops “Let’s Get Your Art Out There!!”
2020 Date: February 23, 10-3pm

Having trouble getting started or knowing where and what to do?

Cost $90 + Tx Pre-Registration Required, contact Wendy Gift Certificates Available

Save the Date . . . . .

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, Prints, Commission Work and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

Be sure to like and share my posts to keep me coming into your box,

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

INDEX

Feb 27, 2020

Preparing for the "BIG SHOW" - Painting & Drawing Tips

Feb 20, 2020

The Trouble with Photo References - Painting and Drawing Tips

Feb 13, 2020

Painting with Dirty Water - Painting and Drawing Tips

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!

Feb 6, 2020

Secrets they never told you about Glazing with Watercolour - Painting & Drawing Tips

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!