Created byhand Challenge - Spring

• Artwork created
• on Arches 140lb Hot Press watercolour paper
• using a Mitchell Roundhand Nib #3 1/2
• with Aureolin, Viridian and Alizarin Crimson Winsor Newton watercolours
• loaded into the pen with the Bristle Brush
• Stamped using the large butterfly from Quietfire Design's Butterfly Dragonfly Stamps
• Stamped with Gold Size
• Gilded with 24K Transfer Gold
  
  

Blast from the Watercolour Past

I began a watercolour painting class last night with a fellow named Bill Kerr http://www.billkerrart.com/ I was so desparate to get out of the house, I needed to do something! I hadn't looked at any of my serious painting stuff in years.....

I found Bill's weekly class by contacting Grant Fuller ( http://www.grantwfuller.com/ and you can see some more of his paintings here http://www.grantfuller.ca/ ) who was my very first painting instructor in Victoria and now resides in the Comox Valley, but is not teaching weekly classes (dang!).

But while I was looking through my stuff I came on a colour copy of this painting I did years ago and gave to my friend Aleda, who has horses.

This painting was from a class I took with Shelley Penner in Port Alberni (couldn't find a site for her) and she had us doing animals (not my favourite subject!). However I think the horses rear turned out not too badly. I seemed to have painted a lot of butt ends in that class. I must dig up one of the others....


I did such a crappy painting last night, but I had so much fun. I have to get back in the watercolour "groove". Think before you put that brush down!!

Don't forget I have lots of painting supplies on my site!

Quicky Playtime Artwork

I needed something for the byhand Newsletter pronto, as I really wanted to publish it before we went away for the weekend! So it's not my most exquisite lettering..... sorry! You can see the newsletter here.


I wanted to demostrate the 2-line Automatic pens and how you could letter with acrylic ink and then paint over it. I didn't get the drama in the watercolour wash I was hoping for, darn it! (but I was after delicate colour - can you have delicate and drama - oh, ya, but not today.... smile!)

For this project I used

• #9 2-line Automatic Pen
• Magic Color Cobalt Blue
• Arches HP Watercolour block
• Pigma Pen Black 08
• Gesso Brush
• French Ultramarine Blue (FUB)
• Rose Madder Genuine

I really enjoy a 2-line pen - the Automatic pens come in several sizes of 2-line. I also carry the Scroll marker here. It sure makes you pay attention to your pen angle!

I lettered Home with the Automatic pen using the Cobalt Blue Magic Color ink and allowed it to dry. Acrylic ink dried waterproof which is fun because you can do a watercolour wash over top and the lettering won't budge. (I don't like acrylic ink for small formal lettering though, I've never been able to get good hairlines with it)

I used the Pigma Pen to letter the rest of the quote. The Pigma ink is also waterproof when dry.

I mixed up little watercolour puddles in my palette (I love the Robert E Woods palette and use it exclusively for painting). When I began painting, I took a workshop, but then I learned *a lot* from pouring over Jeanne Dobie's Making Watercolour Sing. I used a wide Gesso Brush and slopped, yes, pretty much slopped, the water onto the watercolour paper (which I didn't have to worry about stretching and buckling because it's a block). I wanted a delicate colour mixing, so I had to water down that strong FUB quite a bit.

Tip the watercolour block to allow the paints to mix before they dry. Magic!