Watercolor, 5 x 9 Now that the ATC's are all finished up, I'm back to goal-oriented painting. In other words, it's not so much about the subject, but painting regularly in order to build up a variety of techniques so that one day (hopefully!) I'll be able to paint without so much conversation in my head about how to accomplish this or that particular effect. Course, it does help if you like your subject. I have Evening Primroses growing in lovely wild abandon around my house and I love 'em! I have a friend who considers them more of a nuisance than a thing of beauty (they're prolific), but being of the cottage garden persuasion myself, I take delight in finding masses of flowers springing up pretty much wherever they please. I'm not a neatly manicured yard/garden person- give me the cottage garden/woodland look. Back to painting. The goals with this little painting: 1. No re-doing (remember that one from my previous posts? I'm still working on it!) 2. Keep the paint in light layers so as not to lose the white/light spaces. Easier to add paint than to take it away. 3. Think about what I'm doing so that when I put brush to paper I know the effect I'm going after. The Teresa of Old would sometimes put brush to paper and then apparently hope - usually in vain - that the paint somehow knew where it was supposed to go and how saturated/unsaturated it was supposed to appear. Guess what? It didn't. Turns out it needs a little more input from me. But while I was focusing on these goals, I didn't pay enough attention to the drawing. And after I'm almost finished painting (that would be the time to notice glaring errors, wouldn't it?) I saw that I had forgotten a cardinal rule: Paint the dog before the fleas. In other words, get the basic structure of the drawing down - correctly! - before you start adding details. While finishing up I noticed that: 1) the right side of the top left petal curves down to ... where? The curve of the petal should end/begin in the center of the flower from whence all petals spring instead of doing its own thing in a short curve off to the left; and, 2) the stigma and the stamens also don't grow from the center as they should. I was able to do some correcting with the stigma and stamens since the area around them is very light so I aligned them with the flower center as much as I could. The incorrect curve of the petal will have to stand as a lesson to take first things first (because I don't want to re-do - see goal #1) .... get the drawing right before getting the paints out! But, mistakes aside, it was a delight to draw and paint and I thoroughly enjoyed my painting time :-)

Adorable Penguin Watercolor Print. Comes in an easy to frame, standard size of 8x10 inches. This beautiful piece is printed with high quality inks and on archival quality paper, similar to the paper I paint on. I print and sign every piece to order. A precious print for a nursery wall or any wall for that matter. Would make a wonderful gift for an expecting family, or that penguin lover in your life. This smaller print will be shipped flat in a protective mailer. Thanks for looking, Tess

John Muir Laws is a marvel. His boundless enthusiasm, honesty about his early learning struggles , passion to teach, and deep love of nature, combine to make him an inspiring figure.

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Looking for the best watercolor paints? Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a replacement for old paints, click the link above to know more!

I LOVE using masking fluid. Once it’s dry it can be peeled off, revealing the untouched white paper underneath. It’s a bit like magic! I first encountered this medium during my college days and since then have had a great relationship with it. I’ve just launched a Skillshare class on using this m

Envuelto para Relato 2011 son unas jornadas que giran en torno al mundo de la literatura infantil y juvenil, que se celebrarán en Zaragoza,...

Adorable Penguin Watercolor Print. Comes in an easy to frame, standard size of 8x10 inches. This beautiful piece is printed with high quality inks and on archival quality paper, similar to the paper I paint on. I print and sign every piece to order. A precious print for a nursery wall or any wall for that matter. Would make a wonderful gift for an expecting family, or that penguin lover in your life. This smaller print will be shipped flat in a protective mailer. Thanks for looking, Tess

Nothing is more touristy than Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. Yes, it’s mad, it totally misses that wonderful feel of all the different neighborhoods of the city. But is is fun, especially…

8 x 10 signed print. Each  art print is printed with archival inks on bright white 100% cotton, acid free, organic paper with a slightly textured smooth fine art surface. Each print has a limited run of 50. Print of original art by Elizabeth Bloom® Artwork is 8 x 10 Made in the USA Please allow 5-8 days for your delivery  Limited Edition  This Georgetown, DC inspired entry way original painting is perfect wall. This cool watercolor whimsical art is inspired by the artist hometown Washington DC and years spent working in Georgetown at preppy clothing brand Tuckernuck.

【24 Vibrant Colors】- This set of gouache paint with 24 eye-catching vibrant colors. Benefit from rich color selection and excellent mixing characteristics, whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, these vivid colors can meet your needs for color, release your unlimited imagination. 【High Quality, Rich Pigments】- HIMI gouache colors are made of high-quality pigments, thick and creamy. Feature excellent coverage and great mixing characteristics. Offering opaque watercolors with matt finish. It could be rewet and reworked by water when it dries. It's perfect to paint on watercolor paper and canvas. 【Portable Gouache Paint Set】- Comes with 24 jelly cup gouache paint, a palette, and 3 premium paint brushes in a portable carrying case. The unique jelly cup design with an excellent sealing lid keeps our gouache pigments wet and creamy. The all-in-one design makes it easy to carry for both ladies and children. It is perfect for indoor, outdoor, and travel painting. 【Safety Guarantee & Non-Toxic】- Made of eco-friendly paint material conforming to ASTM D-4236 and EN71 standards. It is safe for all ages from kids to adults. Ideal as a gift for creative adults, artists, beginners, students, kids, teens, boys, and girls at Christmas, Halloween, Birthday and more festivals. 【100% Satisfaction Guarantee】- Adhering to the principle of buyer first, we provide 100% after-sales service guarantee. We're sure you'll love our HIMI Gouache Paint Set. But if you are any issues with our products, please feel free to contact us at any time and we will make it right.

Negative painting is one of the most exciting approaches to watercolor I know! The technique is a unique approach of painting around an object to define it in a composition. When working in watercolor we have the challenge that other mediums do not. It is what we don’t paint that becomes the most important element. Think of yourself as a stone carver, chipping away, until only the most precious lights remains. There are many techniques to saving the “lights” of the paper. I have experimented with masking fluids, tapes to save the “lights” but found the end result was either harsh or cutout looking. I preserve the “lights” of the paper from the very beginning by painting around them. Opaque and Transparent Opaque Paints (top row): Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red Light, and Horizon Blue. Transparent paints (bottom row): Quinophthalone Yellow, Scarlet Lake, and Cerulean Blue. It is best to avoid opaque paints (such as cadmiums) for negative painting. Opaque are fine for accent marks at the end but not for glazing. The technique requires numerous glazes which will become muddy with opaque paints. To determine if your paints are opaque or transparent do a simple test. With a permanent marker draw a bold line across a piece of watercolor paper. With paint the consistency of cream paints over the line. If the line is obscured at all it is opaque. Learn more about paint characteristics by reading my post on the topic. 3 Colors for under-painting Underpainting: To determine which 3 colors I will use for the under-painting I make numerous color swatches. The swatches will contain a red, blue, and yellow. The colors do not need to be true primaries. When I mix the colors it is important to have the paint be the same consistence to encourage good mixing on the paper. I am looking for colors that have the underlying feeling of the subject matter. The 3 colors I selected are Carmine (C), Cobalt Teal Blue (CTB), and Raw Sienna (RS). Step #1, Line Drawing: When I draw for a negative painting I am especially mindful of the space and shapes between the leaves and pomegranate (negative space). I want to have shape and size variety. I draw enough to get the general shapes. It is important not to over draw. Allow opportunities for additional shapes to be developed in the painting process. Step #2: I wet the entire paper with clean water and introduce the 3 paint colors separately (Raw Sienna, Cobalt Teal Blue, and Carmine). I paint at an angle to encourage mixing as the paint runs down the paper. I don’t over work the surface with a paint brush but encourage the paint to mix on the paper. While the paper was still damp I lifted a little color off one pomegranate with a damp brush. Let thoroughly dry. Step #3: Start glazing. I will add additional paint colors but I will use the 3 original colors through out the painting process. I consider these my “mother colors”. I paint hard edges against the pomegranate and some of the leaves, and soften edges with water as I move out from the subject. This is what I call the “adolescence of a painting”, because it looks and feels awkward. Let thoroughly dry. Step #4: With each glaze I create new negative shapes and darker values. I sometimes soften edges with a light spray of water while the paint is wet. This technique is most evident on the bottom pomegranate where I used a brush saturated with Carmine to paint the lower section and quickly used a spray bottle to help move the paint down the paper. Let thoroughly dry. Step #5: In the final stage I paint the darkest darks and smallest shapes. I use a rich deep green made with Marine Blue and Burnt sienna. While paint is still wet I drop a small amount of Scarlet Lake to the green mixture to liven it up. I am selective to place my darkest darks near my lights to intensify the focal area. I finish with cast shadows and a few details. Happy Painting! Brenda Step #5 Final step

Laurie Wigham arranged a wonderful sketchcrawl in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. Jane Blundell and Liz Steel were both in San Francisco that day and it was a wonderful way for San Francisco B…

Use vibrant watercolors and coffee filters to make our Coffee Filter Watercolor Fish Craft. An absolutely gorgeous ocean craft!

Let's spread some positivity and a big bear hug!Check these cute and wonderful bear watercolor painting ideas to practice and save some bearable references! Created...

Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color by German illustrator Felix Scheinberger. What a wordy title! Maybe it’s all one word in the original Germ…

I am dreaming of painting landscapes in my sketchbook, or not, on a regular basis, and yet something always seems to get in the way. It took me all summer long, but at long last I grabbed some watercolors and...

Cute Bee Watercolor Print. Comes in an easy to frame, standard size of 8x10. This beautiful piece is printed with high quality inks and on archival quality paper, similar to the paper I paint on. A precious print for a nursery or baby shower gift! I print and sign every piece to order. This smaller print will be shipped flat in a protective mailer. Makes a wonderful gift! Thanks for looking, Tess