Sauces Piquantes

My rules for keeping a sketchbook

2010-02-02T21:13:00.001-07:00

Rules for keeping a sketchbook:

Uno: Never, ever tear out a page unless you sell it, in which case you can replace it with a copy!

Due: Start on the third page to get your courage up.

Tre: Go back to the first page and do a self portrait when you've got the nerve.

Quattro: Strap your journal to your body, don't leave home without it.

Cinque: A little gold leaf and some color peps up a page.

Sei: Always carry a pencil with you, most museums won't let you use ink.

The semi-annual buying spree :)

2010-01-17T01:27:00.001-07:00

Yeppers...buying cool stuff again!

The age-old debate

2010-01-03T10:53:00.003-07:00

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-difference-between-art-and-design/

Everything I need & Everything I don't

2010-01-03T00:30:00.018-07:00

What does a watercolor artist really need? And what can be lived without?

I've been meaning to write about this for a while, but all the year-end blog posts about Christmas wishlists, presents, new supplies and shopping sprees really got me thinking about it again.

When I first starte painting (in '06, I think) I had one set of watercolor Yarka St. Petersburg paints, and most of them were moldy. I also had a few tubes of Grumbacher Academy I'd bought on a whim when a local discount store went out of business. I had drugstore 'watercolor paper', and an old copy of a Reader's Digest book about Watercolor painting. That was it. And all of it was over ten years old.

So...when I started in earnest, learned to draw a bit and started painting a couple of times a week, I started buying supplies. And oh, did I buy supplies. Worse, I bought supplies with no real clue what I needed or what I would use them for. I saw pretty colors and cool packaging and gorgeous artwork on the wrapping, and thought "Yes! I want to try those!"

I knew not about fugitive pigments. I knew nothing about limited palettes. I had no clue how to mix colors; whenever I tried I got a muddy mess. So I compensated by buying tube colors that didn't need to be mixed.

Well, I've learned a lot since then. And everytime I learned something wasn't permanent or was inappropriate for my project, I bought something new. I mixed up the new and the old and filled several boxes with "essential" supplies. And spent a LOT of money overall, too.

Now...let me digress for a moment. I loved to read the forums and blogs and visit artist's sites. I love to see the work they do, and fell in lust with the idea of a travelling sketchkit. I quickly put one together, using cheapie stuff I could leave in the car without being paranoid about what might happen to it. I bought an old, beat-up Italian leather handbag at a flea market, and happily filled it with cheapie colored pencils and some of those old tubes of paint. I carried it around in my car for over a year, and only opened it twice. I finally realized that when I lifted the flap and saw those sub-par materials, my enthusiasm fell through the floorboards. So, I refilled the bag with better stuff.

To figure out what I needed/should bring, I posted my intentions to a forum full of other artists, and asked them for suggestions. I also sat on my living room sofa and worked on a small painting, and made a list of every item I used as I used it. If I needed a ruler, I wrote it down. If I needed it again later, I made a mark next to it, so when I read through my list later I knew what I used most often. And that's what I packed into it. Finally, I bought a spare of every item, and put them into the bag so that I wouldn't be risking my one-and-only of anything. And, I wouldn't have to go out to my car and dig through my bag looking for something inside. In some cases, I bought cheaper versions of my best stuff, so that if the bag were stolen or got left behind I wouldn't be losing mega bucks.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, I signed up for a watercolor class. I'd never taken one before, but when I read through the supply list I was sure I had everything I needed in my bag except paper. So the day of the class I grabbed two full sheets of Arches paper, several sheets of tracing paper, and my newly refilled ol' sketching kit.

When I arrived, I chose a table in the back of the room, dumped my stuff and went meandering around to meet people and see what was going on. I was excited, and couldn't wait to see what great things I'd learn.

Excitement and enthusiasm turned into fear when I saw all the gear other people were bringing in. One woman wheeled in three big totes on a special cart. Another, older, woman opened a file box and began arranging about three hundred tubes of paint. She laid them all out by color and size and transparency and permanence and brand name. I watched a man set up a full-size easel and bring out a wooden chest that was brimming with expensive stuff. He had markers and paints and colored pencils and pastels and pigments in little jars. Altogether, my classmates probably had enough stuff to represent a full third of Cheap Joes' current catalog. Yikes! I suddenly felt very underdressed.

By then I was filled with doubt. How could I just show up with my little bag and two full sheets? What was I thinking? I swear I was one minute away from just walking out when the class started.

But, about half-an-hour into the class, something incredible started happening. First, the woman on my left needed a sheet of tracing paper. No problem...I gave her one of mine. I also cut one of my full sheets of Arches into quarters to give some to the lady who owned an art gallery. I gave another quarter away an hour later to a woman who was trying to paint on printer paper.

The class lasted all day; and in that time nearly every item I brought was needed by somebody. Which left me wondering just what was in all those totes, chests, backpacks, and boxes? How could these intelligent, educated, creative, and upstanding people be so laden and yet so unprepared? At the very end, as everyone was showing their finished works, even the instructor needed to borrow my ruler.

I left feeling pretty smug. But that feeling changed when I got home and took a long look at my creative spaces. I realized that while my little field kit may have had everything I needed plus, I was still just as overly supplied at home as everyone else had been at class. I had some of everything. And I had some things in doubles and triplicates; usually because I'd either forgotten I bought them the first time, or lost them and needed to buy another.

...to be continued...

All I want for Christmas

2009-12-23T10:32:00.002-07:00

I've decided I want some good markers and a nice calligraphy pen.... Now to just figure out what brands and types, exactly.

Here's what I'm looking at, so far:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/prismacolor-premier-illustration-marker-sets/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/koh-i-noor-nexus-studio-pens/

Blog posts worth a long look

2009-12-18T11:39:00.001-07:00

http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/12/1000th-post.html

International Fake Journal?

2009-12-16T13:49:00.004-07:00

http://officialinternationalfakejournalblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-is-international-fake-journal.html

While I'm at it; here's some more

2009-12-13T21:45:00.001-07:00

Here's my last finished painting. I don't like it very well, as the values are waaay off. The air space was supposed to be light blue, but as I was painting it in a glob of magenta pigment got caught up in my brush. As I dragged it across the paper, it actually scratched the paper, and of course, it's staining, too. I tried to scrub it away, but that just made it worse. Finally, I washed the whole area with a mix of the magenta and peacock blue, which made it darker. It would've been okay if it had been a bit moodier, but as it is it appears flat and lifeless to me. I hope to revisit the subject, but I didn't save a seperate drawing so would have to begin all over again. Maybe it will happen, maybe not.

And, here's the unfinished drawings on the front page of my latest sketch journal. This will be the cover and the inside flap.

Better late than never, right?

2009-12-13T21:39:00.002-07:00

Pictures of the w/c box, all cleaned up and ready to fill. I still haven't decided just what to fill it with, but it's ready when I am. One of the little ceramic pans has a tiny chip in it, which I might have done myself. Otherwise, it's in excellent condition and I expect it will last many years. I couldn't be happier with it. :)

I took the pictures

2009-12-11T22:30:00.003-07:00

Now I just have to wait for DH to get them off the camera for me. 0.o

Andrew Loomis

2009-12-10T23:58:00.003-07:00

I have several of Andrew Loomis' books as .pdf files I downloaded; and one more that I bought on eBay. When I read through them, his methods make sense. His drawing technique seems to flow from one step to the next in a logical, useable fashion.

Until I try it. Then, I just can't seem to wrap my head around the various parts of a head and where they go. I'm especially lost when I'm working with a photograph I want to copy, and trying to build it using his methods. The model's face never matches the proportions of the ball, and I get completely confused. The eyebrow line seems too high or too low; the space for the nose seems wrong, the lips don't appear to be where he says they should be.

I'm off to work on it some more this evening, as I'd really love to learn to make it work for me. I don't want to spend my life just copying photos; I want to be able to draw from life and from imagination and I don't want to spend hours on each subject. But I want to be able to do it in realistic style, not turning the model into some caricature or modelling distorted features. :(

Also...I really don't like that so many artists idealize human forms by making them taller or longer-legged or wider. I see slenderized feet and tenderized curves and mechanized muscles...and kinda shudder. I'm more interested in depicting reality realistically. I'll save the heroes and the impossibly endowed for the day I take up cartooning.

Meanwhile, I spend more time fighting with Explorer than I do reading or anything else. I have to restart every page over and over and over every session. I open one too many tabs or try to navigate to another page or open a document...and the whole thing crashes so I have to restart it all. :( And the "restore last session" is a joke. If the last session crashed it, it will attempt to restore it errors and all. :(

I feel like kicking it out and reinstalling the older version. And I would, too, if I wasn't so darn convinced that it would just automatically update itself again. :(

A Common Place Book

2009-12-09T21:38:00.001-07:00

I spent most of my day trying to rescue some old copies of Artist's Magazine. I've had these things since the 90's and have done my best to keep them in good condition because there's so much good information and so many beautiful works and talented artists represented.

But...over the years they've really deteriorated. And, one of our cats peed on the whole stack once, so many of them were ruined and all of them smelled. I packed the salvageable ones in a bag with some baking soda and left them for a while. But I kept trying to think of a way to rescue what was left.

So, today I took a 3-ring binder and started making my version of a "Common Place Book". I've taken apart several of the magazines, saved what I thought was worth saving, and dumped the rest. I either punched the pages directly and inserted them in the binder, or took the relevant parts and pieces and glued them to copy paper, then inserted both layers as one page. In some cases I just clipped out a favorite piece of art and glued it over the ads on other pages.

It's not a work of art. It's not going to become a fancy journal someone will want to read and sift through. But, it will preserve stuff for a while longer that I've found useful or inspirational, and that's the point.

The scanner is on the blink, and I still haven't gotten around to taking any photos. :( I intend to; but life just keeps happening and before I know it the day is done and I'm just not in any mood to fiddle with it any more.

2009-12-08T21:50:00.002-07:00

Commonplace-book. Formerly Book of common places. orig. A book in which 'commonplaces' or passages important for reference were collected, usually under general heads; hence, a book in which one records passages or matters to be especially remembered or referred to, with or without arrangement. First usage recorded: 1578.

Oxford English Dictionary:
http://www.diyplanner.com/docs/commonplace1
http://diyplanner.com/docs/commonplace2

Celtic Knots

2009-12-07T15:28:00.001-07:00

I hope to learn to draw celtic knots. I love seeing them used for borders, page breaks and design elements. And I've seen a few outstanding examples of them used as elements in art works. Here's a few links I hope to visit often:
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/knots/index.htm
http://www.thinkythings.org/knotwork/knotwork.html
http://www.wallace.net/knots/howto/

Downloads I intend to save

2009-12-05T23:24:00.003-07:00

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/free_digital_kit

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/paper_carving_templates

2009-12-05T14:26:00.006-07:00

Freebie Images:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Christmas-images

http://picasaweb.google.dk/silmara.marian

http://picasaweb.google.com/rigedyk

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/Kazren25/

http://picasaweb.google.com/brendageneral

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/Craftypixiedust/

http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r125/madjara/SHEETS/

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o29/majse/

http://picasaweb.google.com/heljellens/3dSpecificAges#

http://www.freecraftstuff.co.uk/
http://digital-inkco.com/
http://digital-inkcochallenge.blogspot.com/

http://creationsbyjj.com/Forum/

Ugh! Was busy all day

2009-12-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

I had to drive into town today, and didn't get back 'till almost 6pm. So, no pictures, no painting, no journaling...but, I did buy some supplies. Nothing special, just some more drawing paper and cheap-o markers for my little journals, and some stuff to help organize my space a bit (always needed).

I was too late to bid again on the watercolor boxes, so I lost both auctions. :( Maybe next time.

I did spot some linen thread at the quilting shop that I think might be good for bookbinding. I wasn't sure of the sizes, so I didn't buy any. But I plan to go back to pick up some of the 30/3 (medium) stuff. It's a real pretty grey-brown color that I think will look terrific against watercolor paper.

It's all cleaned up!

2009-12-02T17:39:00.001-07:00

Antique prussian blue is a real mess! It took hours to get it all washed out, as it just refused to dissolve. Yuck!

But, I managed to get the whole box cleaned up, and didn't even destroy the little paper insert that told what colors were originally in it. It looks good, and now I just need to take some pictures and decide what eight colors I'll use to fill it for the first time. That's the hard part, but also a lot of the fun. :)

Here are the "before" pictures that were on the auction listing.

My new watercolor box arrived.

2009-11-30T21:02:00.002-07:00

Well, new to me. As I said earlier, it's ancient. I bought it on eBay and it's a bit beat up.

The ceramic half-pans are still caked with ancient paint; so caked that even after a couple of hours of soaking in warm water they're still not coming loose.

The lid closes real well, and the five little bowls inside are all in great shape.

I hope to win more of these in the future, as I just love working with them. I probably should've taken some "before" pictures to show what it looked like; but I will for sure take some after I have it all cleaned up. It looks like it good use a good coating of Rustoleum, but I'll know for sure once I get all the old paint and grunge off.

Overall, I'm happy with it...and I guess that's what counts. :)

No Donations!

2009-11-30T07:50:00.003-07:00

I'm playing with a new template, and I see it has a link to make a donation. Please don't! I'll never see the money, and I'm planning to fix it as soon as I can figure out how.

My DS is drawing!

2009-11-29T00:41:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it, but he is.

He used to draw all the time -every single day. He drew the most fantastical monsters and dragons and sea creatures. He drew warriors of every type, and with some of the most incredible armor ever devised. Some of his drawings were tiny -inchies, I think they're called. Some of them were huge. They were all 100 percent original and I loved, loved, loved them.

Then, he quit. My Dad gave him a hard time, telling him to "grow up and draw serious stuff" and tried to teach him the "right way" to do it. And so, of course, DS lost his enthusiasm, and lost his desire to draw at all.

I talked to him the other night, and told him how disappointed I was that he didn't draw anymore. I also promised him that if he would make some new drawings I would buy him some good art supplies.

And he's doing it! Last night he drew an island with a giant eyeball suspended overhead, watching the natives. And this evening he's working on a tree of some sort. Whatever it is, it's beautiful.

I just hope he keeps at it. I know it doesn't come easy any more; but I sure hope he doesn't stop ever again.

10,000 hours

2009-11-28T00:05:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about the many blog posts and editorials I've read about "10,000 hours" being the amount of time and work someone has to put in to truly master a skill.

Van Gogh was a master, and I think he probably did put in a solid 10,000 hours. He worked himself way too hard, though.

Me...I've always had trouble with what Robert Genn calls "stickability". That is, being able to continue working on a single skill 'till it's mastered despite all obstacles, setbacks and distractions.

I love to garden. I love to sew. I'm obsessed with growing my hair out to my ankles. I have kids at home, a
husband who likes to eat now and then, too many pets, and am constantly worried about money. Okay...me and everyone else. But I don't feel I accomplish a third of what many other people do. And I mean average people, not the driven and strident like Van Gogh.

I also tend to spend a lot of time fighting with my environment. I want to sit and paint...first, I have to find a place. Then I have to gather all the stuff I need. Then I have to actually sit down and do it...and that's usually the hardest part. I sit down, someone needs me. I sit down, I have to get right back up. I sit down, someone knocks on the door, the phone rings, the toilet overflows, the dog starts barking.... Yeah. And if that's not enough, just wait 'till all those things happen right in the middle of a nice, flat wash. :( I've ruined several paintings because someone just can't wait 'till I've finished.

But...that's not the whole issue. I know a lot of it is commitment issues. As a child, I was not raised to see things through. My parents certainly couldn't. If anything took longer than three days to accomplish, all bets were off. My father walked away from his jobs more often than anyone I've ever known. He just couldn't stay with something if anything more attractive glittered in the distance.

Anyway...not here to whine. Rather, here to try to figure out ways to put in the time. I've been painting for about five years, but probably haven't put in 200 hours. I let anything and everything get in the way; from simply "I'm not in the mood" to "I have no inspiration" to...you fill-in-the-blank.

10,000 hours?

2009-11-26T14:25:00.002-07:00

Maybe I can do that. :)

Current Palette

2009-11-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

I know it's almost protocol -artists (and wannabes) have to post their current palettes for the world to ogle. And since I do a lot of ogling, I guess I should give back some. So...here's my current palette, subject to change at any time. :)

Quin. Magenta (Winsor & Newton)
Perm. Madder Lake (Rembrandt)
Winsor Red (Winsor & Newton)
Pyrrol Orange (Daniel Smith)
New Gamboge (Winsor & Newton)
Nickel Titanate Yellow (Winsor & Newton)
Bismuth Yellow (Winsor & Newton)
Permanent Sap Green (Winsor & Newton)
Permanent Green (Rembrandt)
Viridian (Rembrandt)
Ultramarine Turquoise (Daniel Smith)
Peacock Blue (Holbein)
Cobalt Blue (Winsor & Newton)
Prussian Blue (Winsor & Newton)
French Ultramarine Blue (Winsor & Newton)
Indigo (Winsor & Newton)
Quin. Gold, Deep (Daniel Smith)
Burnt Sienna (Rembrandt)
Sepia (Rembrandt)
Payne's Gray (Winsor & Newton)

Well...that's the 20 I use most. I have a "secondary" palette that cotains a few things I only use on occasion. I intend to start doing more works using these extra colors so I can learn more about them. After I do that, I just may make some changes to my list above.

Permanent Rose
Opera Rose
Cadmium Red, Medium
Indian Red
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Yellow, Medium
Yellow Ochre
Raw Sienna
Green Gold
Olive Green
Terre Verte
Hooker's Green
Cerulean Blue
Cobalt Violet
Ultramarine Violet
Burnt Umber

I also have some metallic paints that I haven't really tried. I keep gold and silver in my auxilliary palette, but almost never even think to get them wet. Maybe I should try those this weekend, just to get a "feel" for them. Honestly, I think I'm kind of afraid they might a) be addictive and b) mess up my brushes. So I guess I should put those fears aside and just dip in. Who knows? I may love them.

I also have several watercolor "starter sets" that came pre-loaded with different colors, but so far I haven't really been fond of many of the choices. I think they just load them up with a few colors they know everyone can use, then fill it out with cheap stuff. The result looks good, but isn't really very practical. And I don't understand filling slots with black or white...how many watercolorists really use those? I only use white to cover a mistake, and black if I'm doing something monochromatic -and for that I prefer sepia.

One exception is my Yarka paints. The set of 24 has a great color range that I found completely useful. Sadly, most of their colors aren't lightfast. If they would fix that, I would probably only use Yarka brand, as I love most of them. They're grainy and moody and I love the "semi-moist" aspect. They flow nicely and I always enjoy using them.