Day 94 - Paper Comparison

I received a sample pack of Stillman and Birn art journal/sketch book paper a week ago. Today I got it out to give it a test run.

It had five sheets of paper in it. Two were lighter weight and though they may be appropriate for mixed media a watercolor wash would not work on them. They are not heavy enough.

I decided to paint two pumpkins on each of them - a Cinderella a red pumpkin and Baby Boo - a small white pumpkin.  I used the same colors over and over.

Stillman & Birn 180# Papers

Top - Beta

Bottom - L - Delta, R - Zeta

All three of the heavy 180# papers were great to paint on.  The colors were rich and vibrant NOT chalky as on some watercolor paper journals.  The paint loved the paper.  

I will be purchasing the white Beta (top of photo) paper journal for a few reasons. The bright white color of the paper is the #1 reason and the weight of it.   As a friend says no one wants to paint a snow pic on cream paper like the delta (bottom left) which otherwise is lovely paper. 

Also I can use a chunk of Mr Clean Eraser on it to remove paint.  I am a messy painter and tend to smear my paint accidently!!  (Think  put my hand down on wet paint and then move my hand OOPS...blotches!!) I did this on the cream paper and the Zeta paper.  The Mr. Clean Eraser took it right off the Delta but the Zeta which is a lovely smooth white paper oh so nice to paint on...well it peeled the paper up!! OOPS!! I didnt even rub it very hard so thats a NO go!!!

All of the paper did not dry flat when painted on though none buckled badly.   I did not tape it down nor was it stretched.  The white Zeta was the flattest when dry.  The other two were about the same..not wrinkly but just not flat when dry.

UPDATE:  I stuck all three pages in my old sketchbook and they are now flat.  I had thought they might flatten out and they did!!

I also painted a fourth painting on Strathmores Mixed Media journal that I own.  I was NOT happy with the paper at all. It behaved like a hot press...the color once applied did not move EVER again. You could not erase it...if you messed up you were done. I do like a nice tough  surface that takes a little scrubbing...definitely NOT the Strathmore Mixed Media Journal. You say WHAT no photo of the pumpkins?? Heck no...they were awful!! Talk to you later!!

Thanks for looking in!!

Day 90 - Ghiradelli Pumpkin

I sat down to try out the watercolors on a mixed media book and was going upstairs to sew. I didn't like the paper. Rooted around for another piece of paper and next thing I was painting more pumpkins. This is how that turned out.

              L-R Carnival Squash, Baby Boo, Jarrahdale or Ghirardelli 

 This is painted on old Canson paper block of my dad's with Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolor paints.  That green ghiradelli pumpkin was a pain.  It went to grey for a while.

L-R Carnival Squash, Baby Boo, Jarrahdale or Ghirardelli 

For a while it looked like this.

Then I decided the shadows weren't right under the pumpkins. Back to the paintbrush.

L-R Carnival Squash, Baby Boo, Jarrahdale or Ghirardelli 

And then I decided the Jarrahdale's shadows were to heavy too grey. I got my handy dandy watercolor eraser out aka Mr Clean Magic Eraser and whipped them off.  The canson stood up to the rough treatment quite well.

L-R Carnival Squash, Baby Boo, Jarrahdale or Ghirardelli 

Here it is now. About perfect but who knows maybe more work on the orange and white pumpkin? NOT tonite.

Detail. I got the veiny speckled look by using a chunk of holey sea sponge. You need a lighter undercoating. Then lightly sponge another coat on. Repeat till you are happy with the texture.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 89 More Pumpkins

And I have been painting for far too long today. Five six hours. This is a WIP work in progress. Not sure it's done but is for today.

So far today!

A lot of you enjoyed the post a couple of weeks ago that followed a flower painting from beginning to end. Decided to do that again today.

The Set Up

The Sketch

Sketched with a light gray watercolor pencil. I darkened it so you can see it.

Under washing base colors.

Well under way. Then my mother called. I couldn't take pics while I talked to her.

A detail as it is now.

Now to let it sit so it can tell me if it's done. Tomorrow a different pumpkin? I have at least three more pumpkins and three more squash.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 88 - sometimes you need more work!

FYI: This is called a Fairytale pumpkin not a Ghiradelli and is a very old French heirloom pumpkin. I love the names of these odd pumpkins.


    
                 Fairytale Pumpkin with three JBLs and one White Boo

This painting just didn't seem done to me so I intensified the colors, darkened shadows, added darks to the straw.

Fairytale Pumpkin

Here is how it looks now. These pumpkins are really bumpy and pitted. Now it looks it. I think it looks slot more vibrant, don't you?

Day 87 - Happy October!

I love Fall so I am happy October is here. Full of wonderful fall things like Halloween, Thanksgiving, cool weather and the leaves fall.


I have been busy painting pumpkins. Twice but I bet you knew I would do TWO.

The green pumpkin is called a Fairytale pumpkin and is an old French variety. Makes delicious pumpkin pie. Beautiful green with orange highlights.  Eventually these pumpkins turn orange.  Can't wait to see what color of orange mine turns.

I seriously wanted to scrawl Happy Fall or something on this page with my beloved Pentel brush pen but I managed to restrain myself.

Had fun painting the straw. Wash of yellow and ochre. Then I added splotches of burnt umber, ultramarine and indigo. Then I used my old tooth brush to splatter the straw. Background. You know the colors. Cerulean and yellow ochre splattered with the tooth brush with the cerulean and burn umber mixes. Don't forget to shield your pumkins!!!

The ghiradelli is green apatite with cobalt and touches of cad orange and an orange mix from quinacridones rose and gold. Shadows? Ultramarine and burnt umber.

Small pumpkins got the same treatment. Start light go dark gradually.

The nubby squash. Light cad yellow. Building up w oranges and
Yellows adding green gradually.


Painted with identical colors. Think it may need more work but first I am sleeping on it.

Thanks for looking!!