Eclectic Studio - Tammy Morrison-Koenig

Painting Unique Faces Step by Step in Watercolor

2021-12-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Working on beige watercolor paper allows for color continuity throughout this unique portrait, just as an underpainting would in other mediums. I started this young man with a very rough sketch not really paying attention to polishing my lines because I love how the lines show through in the final piece. It adds movement, spontanaity and authenticity to the final piece..

Start adding your roadmap. This is just a light wash of your reds and blues (grey). I don't use a grid so this light wash is a lot easier to cover up any mistakes in subsequent layers if I find my drawing is off. .

Time to add some real darks. This is where you really start to see where your values need to be pushed. What was once dark is now a mid tone in this work. So I added more washes of color. This toned paper gives you your local color and really does most of the work for you.

I found this guy well balanced at this stage but he was lacking in the umph factor. So I went in and added some details with highlights to his hair eyes, nose, neck but the whipped cream on this painting is in his stubble. I accomplished this by pushing and pulling that area using very thin veils of gouache over some inkwork.

You Don't Say

4*7 in

Watercolor, ink, gouache

220gms paper

This is available for purchase Eclectic Studio

BC Flood Fundraiser

2021-11-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

We have been fortunate to have avoided the apocalyptical floods, but I just can't sit back while others are struggling. So to help with the victims of the flood I will be donating 25% of the monies raised from the sale of any painting sold from today until Sunday to the ADRF. This is a community relief fund partnership with the Abbotsford Community Foundation, Chamber of Commerce and the University of the Fraser Valley. I will be posting the amount raised and the check going out for transparency.

With Christmas around the corner, give a gift that keeps on giving. See more at www.eclecticstudio.ca

4 * 6 inch

Watercolor on paper

Lowland Gorilla - Take your painting from Boring to Bold

2021-11-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

Have you ever looked at your painting and thought what can I do to amp this painting up? That is how I felt about this piece. My initial idea for painting this lowland gorilla was to use a palette knife and a complimentary color scheme of turquoise and red knife painting, but I found like it was lacking something.

I was really liking the knife texture to indicate the leathery skin of this beast but wasn't loving the color combination for this specific piece so I pulled out my basic paint program fooled around with some color using the value = color theory and flipped this painting on its head.

I really love this painting now, it really pops off the canvas.

How do you deal with dead paintings?

This painting is available for sale www.eclecticstudio.ca

Suave original portrait by Eclectic Studio

2021-11-03T13:36:00.006-06:00

Suave is an original one-of-a-kind inked abstract rendition of a handsome middle aged man that just exudes a debonair aura when you look deep into his eyes.

This is an original piece of art, not a print.

7.5 * 10.5 inch

ink on acid free paper

I offer free worldwide shipping on orders over $200.

This product will be packaged sandwiched between stiff substrates and shipped in a bubble wrapper.

For more original art, direct from the artist, stop by the shop, sign up to be the first to know of new and exciting product releases.

Weirdness original ink portrait by Eclectic Studio

2021-11-03T12:35:00.001-06:00

Everybody has a little Weirdness ready to show through no matter the age, and this funny ink piece is a tongue in cheek representation of a middle aged crossed-eyed man wearing pop bottle glasses letting his inner crazy out.

This one of a kind portrait was created using a ballpoint pen on paper and is available for purchase from the link above.

Drawing an African Girl in a Turban step by step

2021-10-25T11:03:00.004-06:00

Thank you for stopping by for another step-by-step tutorial on how I drew this African girl in a turban. I am not a traditionalist when it comes to drawing. I don't use any fancy tools or grids, gosh I don't even use a pencil, actually using a pencil or eraser has become a hindrance instead of a help. I start and finish all of my work in pen and upside down. Most of us have read or should have Betty Edwards Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain on their to-read list, well one of the most valuable lessons she teaches is flipping your work upside down. You trick your eyes into actually seeing what is in front of you and not what you think you see. Your mind is much better at picking up spatial changes, angles, and values much better when your mind doesn't label an object.

As you see from the following example I keep my lines loose and flowing and I develop the overall shapes and form of my subject. At this stage, I am not worried about the details just the of the composition on the page.

After you have put in your overall shape you can start placing your models' features, Again, at this stage, I haven't yet flipped my piece right side up. Remember when working in ink, keep your lines loose and light, white gouache can only hide so much.

By this stage, your overall composition and general placement of the features of your subject will be in. Now to start giving form to your features.

First off, where is your light coming from. Mine is top, off-center right. I know it makes perfect sense to me too. 😀

Your head is just a simple spherical shape so we will start by rounding it off, then thinking my head sits forward from my neck, lets add in some darks to push our girls face to the forefront. Now, the eyes are set back in your head but not as far as your neck, so this will be more of a mid-tone area reserving the darkest darks for the cast shadows and irises, so they will always be darker than the rest of your features. Your nose is just a set of shapes, a pyramid, and some sphere-like shapes. Lips are a set of bent rolls

Before we get too far along with her face, we need to set in some values in her clothing or we may run into trouble with the flow of the piece. I always lay on my darks first, the other values are easier to judge when you have the white of the paper and your darks in first.

Into the home stretch.

It is all about refining your shapes, texture (not much to worry about in this piece), and values.

African Girl in Turban

Pen on Paper

Make sure you stop by www.eclecticstudio.ca for my available original works of art for sale.

We are live.

2021-10-11T08:38:00.001-06:00

Its been months in the making but I finally pushed the button and we are live! 

CLICK  TO ENTER
www.eclecticstudio.ca 

If you see something you like and I haven't added the format you are interested in please contact me. I'm always adding new products so sign up to get updates. 

Thank you for all your support 

Funny Headstone Props to Make for the Yard

2021-10-10T13:32:00.001-06:00

You still have plenty of time to whip up these incredibly easy Halloween props for your outdoor display. I added 3 new gravestones to the yard this year. We are out in the country so decorating is mainly for us and any straggler that happens to come down our road while out for their Sunday drives, but it is my favorite time of year and I can't let that go to waste. It is also the first time in 3 years that we have even seen our Halloween stuff because it has been in storage so it is just like Christmas morning around here.

All of my grave markers are attached to 2*6 scraps to give them weight and stability. Super easy to put together using basic dollar store items (the plastic 1/2 skull, the plastic spider, and the face-changing pictures) a little paint and glue to bring it all together, and there you have some one-of-a-kind spooktacular props.

www.eclecticstudio.ca

2021 Building an art business in these crazy times.

2021-10-09T10:00:00.007-06:00

Wow, I can not believe how much our lives have changed in 3 short years. We finally found our forever home in the beautiful Kootenays, gave up the hustle and bustle of corporate life, and have become semi-retired homesteaders. As I am not very good at downtime I needed to come up with something that fills my heart with joy as well as my free time. It has always been a dream of mine to have a dedicated art studio and a fantasy to have a gallery, Well this year, with the support and coaxing from my husband, I am finally making things happen.

One of the buildings is perfect for this endeavor, now we just need to find a contractor that will work in the middle of the boonies to bring my dreams to fruition. Until that time I am advertising as a working studio and so far from the visitors coming into or out of the States it is slowly garnering attention.

I took a few years off from selling and now I feel like I am starting from scratch, having to relearn all of the intricacies in building a brand, social media marketing, business development, and best practices for running a successful company.

So first things first, I am super stoked to announce that my website and online store will be opening on Monday October 11, 2021. I have been crazy busy this year putting together an amazing body of works that will be available for purchase in original, print and some will be made into wearables. Excited? I know I am. If you hop over to www.eclecticstudio.ca you will be able to view all available works. If you see something that you would like made into a specific product reach out and let me know and I will work with my design team to get you what you want.

Moving to the Country - Big changes ahead for 2021

2020-12-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

It's time for a change and PIVOT seems to be the 2020 word of the year. I will be so happy when this year is over, as many of us will be, but we also have so much to look forward to in 2021 and beyond.

We bought the farm??? acreage??? homestead?? we are still trying to identify the niche we fit into. We knew this day was coming for the past few years and it has taken that long to find the right property, in the right area for the right price. We are so excited to be closing on 2.667 acres in the banana belt of Canada in just over 3 weeks. It is exactly what we have been looking for. "Usable" land is hard to find when you are in the mountains as everything is either straight up, right on the highway, a gravel pit or you sit on your neighbors lap, none of the above would suffice. But we found it and it has most of the infrastructure already in place: hay barn, sheds, paddocks, corral, gazebo, private road, 1 neighbor (which we cant see) and the start of a garden area, 10 minutes to town and 10 minutes to the lake. Perfect right!

For over a year now we have been renting a secondary residence on an acreage and on this property there are Nigerian dwarf goats and chickens. Well what would a farm be without animals? Well the landlord gave us first pick of the Christmas babies and we are pleased to announce we have a little wether (Brad) and a doeling (Karen) coming home Mid February. Fruit and nut trees are ordered and will be ready for shipping in April and seeds will be started as soon as we move in and the day old mix of chicks/ducks will be coming at the beginning of March.

We started homeschooling the kids last year and this is the perfect once in a life time opportunity to introduce them to a different way of life. It's going to be a wild and crazy year ahead.

Happy New Year. May 2021 bring peace and prosperity to all.

Cranbrook Community Forest

2019-01-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Some big changes have happened to my family through the holiday, I was offered an incredible position in the location were we vacation. But this move involves leaving my husband and kids behind until the house sells. #stressful Thankfully I am able to get home regularly. So without the chaos of family life I have had a lot of quiet time on my hands, so to fill my time I try and get out hiking as much as possible. This community offers plenty of trails in town and even more within a short drive. The Community Forest is an amazing place to go for a walk, offering plenty of trails to discover. Yesterday while I was out I took the opportunity to snap a few shots for my reference library and thought I would share. Hope you enjoy.

Old sailor

2018-10-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

I created this old sailor painting in my watercolor journal using a limited watercolor palette, black and white gel pens and a waterpen pen. Waterpens are plastic cartridge pens with plastic or synthetic bristles that are filled with water and work well in a travel journal. But when you are use to professional supplies these take a little bit to get use to as nothing beats beautiful sables, but sables do not transport well in my travel bag, and transporting a water supply is a pain.

Not a great painting, but I really love the play of lights against darks.

Halloween - Best dressed zombie family 2 years running

2018-10-27T16:55:00.001-06:00

Date night! Halloween is our most favorite time of the year. It's where we adults can dip into the tickle trunk without judgement. Lol ;) As a family we look forward to participating in our communities zombie walk and this year was no exception. If I had more time our outfits would have had a little more thought put in but with only 30 minutes and 4 people, I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

This little man rocked it this year with the gunshot through his eye ball. I created this effect with a paper cupcake liner, cut to size, and adhered it to his face using liquid latex. I built up the edges using latex, single ply tissue and a little fake skin to blend the edges. The inside was painted black and the outside was layers of bruising (yellow, green, red, blue) then the fake blood was dropped on and allowed to drip down his face. Fake blood was also splashed on his face. This gives the illusion of a very realistic freshly fed zombie.

We also grabbed one of the zombie babies from the yard to add to our clan.

This event only offered hot dogs so we had to bring a plate of body parts and brains, I mean what self respecting zombie would eat lips and bums. :D Our makeup was enough to win best dressed zombie family again this year. Yeah us!
Happy Halloween everyone.

Old car rotting in the woods reference photos

2018-10-27T16:30:00.001-06:00

We came across this old car rotting in the woods at Cottonwood Lake BC. It seemed to have run off the road, rolled, and came to rest at the bottom of the gully. Its motor was found a few feet from the vehicle and I'm sure this old car definatly has a story to tell.

Feel free to use this pictures in your work, but please give credit where credit is due.

UNDER PAINTING IN WATERCOLOR - Grisaille underpainting technique

2018-10-23T11:05:00.001-06:00

I chose to use a grisaille technique for the painting of this old man in watercolor. Grisaille is an old technique oil painters used to develop a monochromatic value study, kinda like a road map for your painting. This later served as a base for the addition of transparent layers of color. For this painting, I chose to use a limited palette of dioxazine purple, Naples yellow, alizarin crimson for the face with a pop or 2 of transparent orange and green gold at the end.
**This is not a palette I would choose again and here's why. Naples yellow doesn't pack any punch and is opaque. This is not a great mix when you need to cover or mute the purple. Diox purple is also strong stainer, making it difficult to remove pigment. Sometimes this is ok, but didn't really help on this piece.
I started this gentleman with an ink sketch that can be found in my Strathmore watercolor 400 series journal. I love the quality of paper in this journal but I wish it would lay flat when I am working in it.
Then I started applying washes of diox purple until I had the value I was seeking. Working in ink instead of a pencil will also guide you in judging values. I judge my paintings' completeness by when my pen lines disappear in the painting. But don't feel you have to work in ink, it is whatever you are comfortable with.

When you are happy with your underpainting we can start adding the rosy glow. Start by wetting your paper and when the shine disappears you can drop your yellow and red mixes. Don't worry about mixing on your paper as much as just dropping color and letting the wetness of the paper carry the color.

I have started adding a background to the painting. I chose to use an orange color as I felt that it worked nicely against the purply-blue of the foreground. Now if you carry that opaque Naples yellow over his greyed jacket it produced a beautiful greyed tan, perfect for the illusion of a worn jacket. A key to a successful painting is having your colors appear throughout your work. It doesn't have to be the entire palette of colors you use, but one that appears in several places will connect the painting. In this painting that color would be the diox purple or the Naples yellow.

SUNFLOWER reference photo

2018-10-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

I have decided to post some of my reference photos free for you all to use in your work.

These are some lovely wild sunflowers growing in the fields out by the ball diamonds in Fort Macleod, Alberta.

This little gopher was trying to photo bomb my other shots so I had to include him in this batch.

If you choose to use any of these photos in your art I would love it if you could link back. Thanks, I really appreciate it.

DRAWING A PORTRAIT - Ink & Watercolor Sketching on Kraft Toned Paper

2018-10-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

Drawing portraits on kraft toned paper provide a mid-toned base in which to build your portrait upon. One of the drawing sites I visit has a Halloween drawing event going on right now. Each day a different Halloween inspired drawing prompt is posted and you have the opportunity to use this as inspiration for your sketch. The prompt for this day was Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus and skulls.

This gentleman is full of personality and life. With very little detail or line work, you are still able to give life to a 2-dimensional piece of paper. Kraft paper is a little thin so you are not able to manipulate the ink like you can on some thicker papers, so you have to be very watchful when laying down your strokes.

CREATING VALUABLE CONTENT for your art blog

2018-10-20T09:30:00.000-06:00

A few artists are very good at blogging – I am not. I get overwhelmed by creating valuable content, how often to blog, and whether blogging can be effective for artists.

When we look at creating content we need to first identify:

What is the objective of an artist blog?

I am sure that every artist has unique objectives, but I can almost guarantee we are all blogging to create an online presence and drive traffic to our art websites so we can land a sale. When developing content we should keep in mind that your online art gallery is a place to showcase your art, but your artist blog makes it easy for people to find you in Google’s search.

Put your time and effort into what will help you to reach your unique goals.

If your goal is to sell art prints, put your effort into what will help you to sell more art prints.

If your goal is to sell a watercolor painting, put your effort into strategies that will help you to sell your watercolor painting.

If your goals are to increase your art sales develop a strategy that will help you to increase the traffic to your art listings.

Hands down my artist blog and Pinterest drive the most traffic to my artwork. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube do not even come close.

If you do not rank higher than the top art websites in Google’s search you are handing over them the sales.

Remember Quality Over Quantity

A quality post does not mean that it is the longest post.
A quality post is filled with valuable information.
A quality post is easy to read and understand.
A quality post gives you the answers you are searching for.
A quality post supports the headline of the post.

Best Writing Practices

Write like you are talking to a person.
Keep your posts easy to read and understand.
Only say what you are trying to get across.
Structure your post, so it will be easy to read.
Respect your reader’s time.

What it really boils down to is you need to connect with your audience on an authentic and personal level while sharing information connected to why they came to your site in the first place, your craft. It’s that simple. Content crafted with nothing but fluff and keywords written by people who know nothing about the industry, your product, or your audience is not only ineffective, it’s poison.

DRAWING PEOPLE IN INK - Deciding How Much Detail is Enough

2018-10-14T15:46:00.001-06:00

Add caption

How do you know when a sketch or painting is finished? Well, that is the age-old question that has plagued many of the even seasoned artists and the answer really lies with the artist itself. These portrait sketches are good examples of portraying age, through eyes and hairline rather than exaggerated wrinkles. Sometimes less is more.

PAINTING FACES WITH DARKER SKIN TONES Watercolor Using Only 3 Colors

2018-10-02T11:57:00.001-06:00

Painting faces with darker skin tones doesn't have to be a complicated process. Using a limited palette of just 3 colors a yellow (quin gold), a red (quin magenta) and a blue (Prussian) can create beautiful vibrant clean skin tones. I love using these colors for darker skin tones due to their saturation and their ability to create rich darks.

After you complete your sketch, start with wetting your paper until the shine is off and then take a med. wash of yellow and touch your paper. Use the wetness of the paper to assist in letting your colors flow. Keep the edges against the white highlights clean and soft. I don't use masking fluid anymore, for the tiny highlights, I will come back in at the end of the process with a white pen and add them back in.

Let your layers dry in between as to not muddy your piece. work in small sections and build up the variations in the skin.

Add caption

Don't get hung up with details. The best watercolors are ones that "suggest" or create intrigue. It allows the viewer to add his/her own interpretation of what is happening in the piece.

Sketching Expressive Faces in Ink

2018-09-30T12:29:00.000-06:00

Capturing the essence of a person without overloading on detail is one of the advantages of working with ink within a time limit. As Bob Ross used to say "there are no such things as mistakes, just happy accidents". That is what makes it art instead of a being a copy of a photograph.

Here are some 20-minute portrait sketches that I use to capture the mood and moment. Don't look for perfection, look for a reaction from your audience.

Using a quick watercolor washed background this crabby old lady has a little more character than just a using a plain white background. It doesn't have to be perfect or refined to add a little zip.

This dude with a crazy-eyed expression is far from perfect and even with the corrections made along the way it is hard to tell what was an intentional mark and what was not. Don't be intimidated by ink, be confident in your strokes and embrace your mistakes.

STEP BY STEP Painting an Old Lady in Watercolor

2018-09-23T09:46:00.004-06:00

I always get asked how to get started painting portraits in watercolors. Easy! Grab a tube of yellow, red and blue, some water, a brush, and good paper. As you move along in the painting process you will learn more about chroma, transparency, granulation, staining properties and such. Right now, we will worry about laying down color and not making it into mud in the process. For this painting, I am using my Strathmore watercolor journal 400 series. I really like the fact that this journal is hardcover but I wish it would lay flat when you open it and get ready to paint.

Step 1 - Working in ink only, I work up a quick line drawing to act as a roadmap to my painting. Be confident in your work and don't fear mistakes.

Step 2 - painting with a limited palette. This lady is of European descent so I decided to lighten up my triad by choosing gamboge nova (Holbien), cobalt blue (Cotman), Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Holbien), this painting I also added Veridian green and burnt sienna but these were not used on her face, just in the background.

Step 3 - continue to add layers, adjusting values as you go.

Step 4 - Add background elements and start to adjust your values and color temperatures against what they are sitting beside.

Step 5 - add details like hair strands, highlights. You will also notice that she has no wrinkles but by adding depth to the eyes and depth in chin it implies age. I call a painting done when my darks disappear against the black ink.

Art Therapy - Assembling your journaling supplies and finding time for yourself

2018-09-09T11:48:00.001-06:00

Art has always played a major part in my life. Whether it be grabbing a sheet of printer paper and pen, some charcoal and wood or if I am really lucky I can find time for a brush and canvas, I have always used art both as a therapy and as a gauge of my mental health. I feel it is very important to find 1 hour a day to focus on your personal well being. I don't consider it selfish or negative. Our lives get so crazy and easily become of control that I find it an essential part of my emotional health and I am very lucky to have someone in my life that recognizes that.

I find 20 minutes hour a day of uninterrupted time when I take lunch. I drive down to the river, and either grab my running shoes and zip around a quick 2.5km trail or I crank up the stereo and grab my travel sketch bag. I take this kit everywhere. It contains the essentials for my style of sketching which is not really fancy, is easy to transport and knows how to get the job done. I emphasize my style as this has taken me a long time to understand what that is. I think that my style is always evolving. I know how to draw, and understand values, I can get through color theory, but finding MY style...wow that one is tough.

This art travel kit contains a blend of artist and student grade supplies, that gets the job done without breaking the bank. Front left to right:

Red watercolor pencil- I do a lot of portraits and find a neutral red doesn't complete when others colors are laid around it.
Fine tip watercolor brush - for a little more detail
Charcoal pencil, soft lead encased in wood that easily blends and will give you a wide range of values.
Black water-soluble marker pen. A strong color that can be blended out with limitations.
Black permanent Sharpie marker, fine point. It provides strong permanent lines.
Pigma pens in an array of nibs including the brush pen. Permanent fine tipped pens.
Black gel roller pen. **my personal favorite. I love the way this cheap pen works. It will move just a little with the addition of water but doesn't get all crazy.
White marker pencil. An alternative to a white gel pen.
White gel roller pen. I have a few and find this one works best for me.
A new addition to my kit is the watercolor fan deck. It may not be the best quality but this is just a sketchbook and as I mentioned earlier your travel kit should get the job done and is easily portable. check,check, and check. This deck comes with a water brush, mixing tray and a small sponge. Its perfect for my style.
for back up I still have my Sucrets watercolor tin with a basic 6 color palette. ( a warm and cool of each of the primary colors)
travel size spritzer
napkins
a hardcover sketchbook. I love this cheap sketchbook so much I grabbed 3. This one has signatures in both brown craft paper and off-white sketch paper. This paper does not hold up well to multiple layers but this will force you to lay it down right the first time.

I usually only get a few minutes a day for art therapy and not everything I try will work out in 20 minutes and that is OK. The point of the exercise is to find time for you. It may not seem like a long time but anytime I can switch your brain from left to right seems to reset your mental state. So, where do you find your 20 minutes? What is in your mental health artist toolbox?

Golden Lab Dog Painting With its Head Out The Window

2018-05-11T11:49:00.000-06:00

Can't you just feel the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth? I bet your this Golden Lab can feel just that driving down the open road, and he is enjoying every moment.

6* 8 in

Acrylic on canvas board

$135 CAD includes shipping

Buffalo Painting - Home on the Range

2018-05-09T11:44:00.000-06:00

Home on the Range
6*8 inch

acrylic on canvas board
available for purchase

Whenever I have the opportunity to do a show I am always mindful of whom my customer is, I guess this is my marketing and sales background showing up. A show in the city may feature more paintings, than a show in the country where it may be more prints/art cards. I have also found that when selling in the city buyers seem to be relaxed and accepting of abstract ideas and styles. I have entered a new market and have been invited to participate in a local art show, being in the country I decided to put together a mix of smaller paintings and art cards and we will see how that goes. Any ideas on how to market your art in smaller markets?