Thursday, January 28, 2016

COMPLETING MY PAINTINGS FROM THE JANET ROGERS WORKSHOP


Finished painting.

Workshop start
Let it not be said that I do not complete my workshop homework.

Here are three of the paintings that I started in the Janet Rogers workshop and finished them in my studio. My little angel isn't perfect but I think I captured her essence and the flesh tones that Janet taught us. I am struggling  with using the white of the paper as the highlight value.

Workshop start
I rather like this one. I did add watercolor pencil to accent some parts of the finished product.
Finished


    Somethings can not be saved and this was one of the many that I create.
I was experimenting with hot press watercolor paper and found that I did not like it or maybe I do not know how to use it properly.  Either way it is history in my stash of art supplies.
Workshop start.
Awful!!!!!!
 I will try again to use Janet Rogers techniques because the lady can really paint people well! She also has a style that you can recognize the moment you lay eyes on her art work. 

Thursday, January 21, 2016

VERO BEACH ART CLUB PRESENTS A JANET ROGERS WORKSHOP


Lunch with fellow artists



Hi All,

   I may have mentioned that I am co-chair of the Art Club workshop committee which presented a three day watercolor workshop with Janet Rogers. We had her hubby Steve Rogers last year. Both are outstanding artists and teachers, she left the students asking for a five day return workshop for next year.

     It was a sold out event and well worth the time to learn from Janet. My watercolor paintings had taken a sorrowful showing but now I am recharged to buy new limited palette wc paints. Cheap Joe will love me.

    Summarizing what I learned:
1. Don't be so cheap, buy new paint and put out a big blob of it onto a large palette.
2. If I use a limited palette I will avoid mud which haunts my artistic endeavors.
     Aureolin Yellow, Permanent Rose & Cobalt Blue for the transparent triad of colors.
3. Practice(warm up) before each painting by doing swatches of flesh tones & gesture drawings.
4.  Make the secondary orange, purple and green from limited palette triad.
5. After sketching flower, face or figure drop in a puddle of flesh tone then add other colors to create a  variety of subtle color changes. One straight color is boring.
6. A second triad was made by using; Qin. Gold, Alizarin Crimson & Ultra. Blue.
7. Use white of the paper for the highlights of the subject and use the cooled down flesh tone for the shadow areas. That was new to me.
8. Never use blue as the shadow color; they should be a warm color.

Flesh tone swatches.

     Here are my first attempts:

Grand daughter as an angel.

Flowers

Grand daughter on the beach.


    As you can see I am bad at flowers but do enjoy figures and faces. I was amazed at how many times Janet could add another color to "overwhelm" a mistake in color. As long as the puddle is still wet, all the colors are transparent and from a limited palette. I don't fear watercolors as much as I used to and I'm even fired up to paint with them.  

A wonderful workshop.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

NEW PLEIN AIR TOYS

Is it true that if I buy just one more brush, tube of paint or equipment I will instantly be a better painter?
EASY L PLEIN AIR SET UP

First let me say that I have no bad habits so I totally deserve my splurge buying  some light weight , easy to lug around painting equipment. I will gladly donate my old wooden french easel to a student at a local school.

SEA GRAPE TREES
My first plein air of this season was at a local park  and it was an enjoyable experience. I did not invest in new equipment until I tried painting plein air last season to see if I liked it.  I DO!

I got my painting home and thought it was horrid so I let the oil paint dry and started over.


Sea Grape Re-do
I did repaint this in my studio so it doesn't really count as plein air but at this point in my art career I am not a purest. I was told the painting has to be 80% done plein air before it qualifies. 

As you can see the scene was simplified and I was concentrating on temperature changes. 
A for effort.