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Color theory: The black to white of yellow, part 2
The first part of this practical color theory series highlighted the different hues that make up the yellow color family when observing natural objects. Today let’s experiment with the value ranges and...
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A crimson-colored autumn: A watercolor palette using fall’s fashion color
Whether you call it burgundy, magenta, crimson or cranberry, a cool, dark, plummy red is the most popular color you’ll see in all the shops and magazines for the A/W 2011 season. Why not join in the...
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An unusual way to study a master’s techniques?
This Christmas holiday, the Wrenaissance Man and I enjoyed an old-fashioned past-time—working on a jigsaw puzzle. We chose a puzzle made from the image of Georges Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the...
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Emerald Green, Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year, and the Artist’s Palette, final
Part 3: Rendering Emerald Green with artist’s watercolors and inks When painting nature subjects, most watercolor artists learn to mix shades of blue and yellow, or yellow and black to obtain greens...
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On my walk: Tumbleweeds
Looks like a witches basket! says Corrie. Last week, the pups and I found a very large tumbleweed on the side of the road during our walk. The dried plant had such an interesting and beautiful skeletal...
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Current projects: Paphiopedilum orchid
Last week, I went to a local orchid nursery and picked out two luscious specimens. A dendrobium and this, Paphiopedilum Hsinying Pitch #3 x Paphiopedilum Magic Leopard #1. An expedition to the local...
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Differences in definition: Botanical illustration, botanical art and floral art
What genre does a painting of plants or flowers belong to? Some people might call any realistic depiction of vegetation a botanical illustration. Female artists who intrepidly search the wilds for rare...
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Current project: Paphiopedilum orchid color sketches
Ready for its close-up: Paph. orchid hybrid and color notes for my current painting on the drawing table. Watercolor tip for botanical art: I like to do my contour drawings on good watercolor paper...
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Current Projects: Stippling the bud and stem of Paph. orchid
Notice how I stopped stippling at the border between the leaves and the stem? Adding the stippling last will give dimensionality and place the stem forward in space. Some tips for stippling with...
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Can this painting be saved?
Masque has been applied, followed by a medium dark wash. I decided to mask out the lighter spots on the orchid leaf in order to add the darker background color as one smooth wash, using the Cool Blue...
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Blue Mondays: An occasional series about one of my favorite colors
Shades of blue: all the blue watercolors currently in my paintbox. Clockwise from top: Holbein Cerulean Blue; Holbein Cobalt Blue; Holbein Compose Blue; Daniel Smith Genuine Lapis Lazuli; Windsor...
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Blue Monday: Cerulean blue
Winslow Homer, “Flower Garden and Bungalow, Bermuda.” Watercolor on paper, reproduced as art print. Source: etsy.com via Wrenaissance on Pinterest Cerulean. adj. From Latin caeruleus, dark blue. First...
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Birthday celebration: JMW Turner
Source: dailymail.co.uk via Wrenaissance on Pinterest Joseph Mallard William Turner, one of the greatest landscape artists of all time, was born on this day in 1775. Let’s celebrate his birthday with...
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Things I’d like to paint: Foggy morning in Arkansas
The pearlescent colors of sunrise through fog never show up as delicate and nuanced in a photo as they appear in real life. In fog, even trees in the near background fade into the distance. Objects...
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Wildflower Wednesday: Seven tips on wildflower identification
A good example of observing carefully: The leaves grow in opposed pairs. The flower stalk begins its blossoming from the bottom up.Beakpod milkvetch or blue locoweed in its second florescence of the...
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Portable studio tips for hiking and sketching with pastels
Spring is finally here, and that means sketching outdoors! Here are a few ideas for setting up a compact, sturdy kit for pastel sketching on your next hike. Pastel Cases Hobby Lobby has a strange...
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Groovy Links of the Month: Ideas for field sketching kits
Truly, this is all you need to enjoy sketching nature outdoors! This year, for some reason, I have felt compelled to switch up my ordinary travel sketching kit. In February, I took pastels to the Grand...
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