Art by Wendy: August 2023

Aug 13, 2023

6 Tips on Painting with an Itsy-Bitsy Palette - Painting and Drawing Tips

Do you dream of sitting by Trevi fountain in Italy and sketching?

Yes, it’s fun! It’s something that I like to do. Not just sketch but PAINT.

An ITSY-BITSY PALETTE with brush - 12.2 x 7.3 x 2.3

BUT to do that, you need AN ITSY-BITSY PALETTE. And painting with that itsy-bitsy paint palette can be a challenge!

5 Tips to Get that ITSY-BITSY PALETTE working for you:

***Further discussion and examples are available on a YouTube version of this post: How to paint with an Itsy Bitsy Palette.

Have a bigger Paint brush: The paintbrush that usually comes with Itsy Bitsy pallets are too small. They are meant for dry brushing. Your wash for a sky will end up streaky and patchy. A round brush size 6 or 8 with a point works well for portable sketchbooks up to 9 x 12 inches. Make sure the brush has a bit of fullness to hold paint and water for a wash. One that collapses and stores in your palette is even better.
Put a large drop of water on each colour to rehydrate the paint
Drop Water onto each of your colours: Before you start your sketch, drop a bit of water on each of the colours in your paint tray and close it. This will help to soften your colours and they will be ready for you. You might consider carrying a small spray bottle if you feel your paints are constantly dry when you need them.
Mixing a Puddle of Green to work with
Pick a Starting Colour: Decide which colour to start with. This time of year, green is everywhere so I tend to start with it. One section of my tray is for my green mixes. The other tray becomes my blues/pinks/yellows.
Note the Green Puddle has several different greens in it.
Use a premixed colour to speed things up: This is particularly true with Green. I use Sap Green (a pre mixed colour) then push it to warm or cool by adding blues or yellows, even some red. As you’re mixing draw it away from the main puddle so that you have space for more than one kind of green.
Note the different colour puddled areas in the mixing area.
Move around your Sketch: If you have a colour that goes in several places paint all of them before moving on. Your mixing space is limited and so once a colour is done, you will need that spot to mix new colours.
If you need a spot of pure colour clean a spot for it.
Keep your paint tray mess. Often my second tray has bits of left over colour I need for a little shot of detail. I seldom clean the whole tray but if I need a pure spot of colour I will clean a small spot for mixing.

A few Test Runs at home is definitely a good idea. Having everything in working order when you are on your Sketching Adventure is key to success. With a little practice you will really enjoy the freedom that little palette gives you.

***Further discussion and examples are available on a YouTube version of this post: How to paint with an Itsy Bitsy Palette.

DROP-IN & CREATE!!! - Aug 28 & Aug 31, Sept 4 - 1-3pm

Beecher Place, 12160 Beecher St. (Crescent Beach), Surrey

I am excited to offer this perfect opportunity for you to bring your own projects to life in a supportive and inspiring atmosphere. Max 3 Cost $20. Contact Wendy to Register.

Upcoming Events:

Art Treo – Classes/Show/Sale

Aug 26-Sept 13, 11-5pm Daily
Beecher Place, 12160 Beecher St. (Crescent Beach), Surrey

Enhance Your Drawing Skills Class - Sunday, Aug 27 & Sept 3, 10-12pm $50

Creating Your Own Colourful Silk Scarf - Friday, Sept 1, 1-3pm Supplies Incl $50

Working with Acrylic Inks, Sept 6 & Sept 10, 1-3pm $50

Drop-In & Create, Aug 28 & Aug 31, Sept 4, Sept 5 & Sept 9, 1-3pm Bring your own projects $20

Awesome Opportunity - Artist Retreats in the Shuswap

September 15-18, 2023

Join me for 4 DAYS of Outdoor Sketching, nature walks, deck and beach time, creative conversations, gourmet meals and simply relaxing

Your Hosts, Joanne Denis and Myself. Cost: $450 single room or $300 shared room
Art instruction, transportation (from Lower Mainland), meals and lodging included (Bring your own art supplies. Space is limited to 8-10 attendees, Register Early with Joanne Dennis.

Always Available at Art by Wendy's Studio

Original work, Commissions, Private Drawing Lessons, Prints and Cards of her Work,

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Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Aug 7, 2023

5 Steps to Find Patterns of Colour in an ALL GREEN LANDSCAPE - Painting & Drawing Tips

Adventures are calling you! Time to get OUT THERE and have some fun. Swimming, boating and hiking for sure but at some point you will want to sit down and Paint.

The Beaver Den - Colours in an all GREEN WORLD

The wonderful part of summer is that flowers are bright and beautiful. The mountains are shining in the sun and the trees are no longer bare. Everything is encased in a sea of Green. It’s wonderful!

But that GREEN can be awful!!!

Beaver Den on the Island - Surrounded by GREENS

Everything is green. So how do you find your way. It's all GREEN.

*** Here is a link to my YouTube video that further explores this topic: Finding Patterns of Colour in an ALL GREEN LANDSCAPE.

I just came back from a camping trip and and of course I was encased in the GREEN World. As I painted a little island that held a beaver den, ways to fight the GREEN began to emerge.

Pencil lines to find the main shapes and patterns - changes in values

Here’s how I Attacked THE GREEN’S:

I looked for subtle changes of values. These signal a change in vegetation.
I looked for patterns. Those value changes make shapes. Those are my keys to see patterns that are different colours. As I sketch in the scene with my pen, the shapes created around the value changes are more prominent. Of course you can do this all in pencil. But you know me, I like to get my pen in there too.
Ink Sketch - Notice the different shapes that match the different values of green
I pushed the colours. If a value is light green, I add yellow to it to make it even lighter. A glaze of Colbalt Teal Blue cools it but keeps it light and airy. If the value is a mid-value I add hints of reds and blues to it. Red warms it up, blues cool it down. Thus creating more colours in the scene but still keeping with feeling of green.
I thought about colour temperature. Some shapes are warm while others are cold. You can see in my picture the low bushes are facing the sun and have a warm airy feeling. While the taller bushes are effectively shaded by their height. These are cold. I look for those spots throughout the picture.
Adding the Colour - notice the shapes have different colours of Green
I introduced new colours. I dropped a touch of red into the shadow areas. No, there was no red there. But I always seem to feel that there should be a touch of red when I am painting so much green. (This is a me thing. Do you have a 'me thing'?) I repeated the red as more of a rusty brown in the background foliage and in several spots in the shadow areas. My own rule is it needs to be in 3 spaces minimum so it 'blends in' to the painting. I dropped in some blues - the sky, the water, and that loggy, looking rock in the middle. I used some purples in the shadows mixed with the red and one of the blues I used. Thus keeping the colours cohesive and yet adding a new colour.
Finished Picture feels green but in fact has blue, red, purple and yellow

Yes, That GREEN WORLD is a challenge to paint but give it a try. You will really be pleased with the results.