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Vacation and Learnin Me Some Watercolour
15 years ago
For some reason I have been awake for at least 32 hours.
My first week "off" is drawing to a close, most of it spent sleeping or doing that Thanksgiving thing, which was easily one of the best I've had. Free range local bug and grass eating turkey? http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1629405/snoods.jpg yes please! Plus fancy posh butter and potatoes cooked in turkey juices and local apple and cranberry wine, AND elderberry wine made by
graywolf. Big thanks to 
foxfeather who cooked and to her husband 
mbala and our mutual BFF 
thornwolf for sharing good times at the table.
This is the first time in at least a year, if not more that I have not had an impending deadline and it feels great. All work will begin again on the 6th, magazine and fandom commissions alike. Until then, I am luxuriating in the freedom to draw what I want, which right now are birds!!! Specifically bearded barbets just for the pure joy of sketching them, and hopefully some inky and watercolour pieces will be finished.
I am trying very hard to teach myself watercolour. There is a specific look I am going for that so far is way beyond my grasp. Dozens of pages are filled with splotches and squiggles as each pigment is tested, mixed, washed, lifted, and so on. I am heartened. I can see definite improvements as I flip through the pages. I've been referring to The Watercolor Artist's Guide to Exceptional Color by Jan Hart and How to make Watercolor Paint Itself by Nita Engle. Both books make me furious yet are also a huge help with understanding the charming and annoying aspects of the medium.
My paints of choice are the Daniel Smith line. They make me happy because the colours are so juicy, even when I suck so much. At least the hundreds of failures are glowy.
My first week "off" is drawing to a close, most of it spent sleeping or doing that Thanksgiving thing, which was easily one of the best I've had. Free range local bug and grass eating turkey? http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1629405/snoods.jpg yes please! Plus fancy posh butter and potatoes cooked in turkey juices and local apple and cranberry wine, AND elderberry wine made by
graywolf. Big thanks to 
foxfeather who cooked and to her husband 
mbala and our mutual BFF 
thornwolf for sharing good times at the table. This is the first time in at least a year, if not more that I have not had an impending deadline and it feels great. All work will begin again on the 6th, magazine and fandom commissions alike. Until then, I am luxuriating in the freedom to draw what I want, which right now are birds!!! Specifically bearded barbets just for the pure joy of sketching them, and hopefully some inky and watercolour pieces will be finished.
I am trying very hard to teach myself watercolour. There is a specific look I am going for that so far is way beyond my grasp. Dozens of pages are filled with splotches and squiggles as each pigment is tested, mixed, washed, lifted, and so on. I am heartened. I can see definite improvements as I flip through the pages. I've been referring to The Watercolor Artist's Guide to Exceptional Color by Jan Hart and How to make Watercolor Paint Itself by Nita Engle. Both books make me furious yet are also a huge help with understanding the charming and annoying aspects of the medium.
My paints of choice are the Daniel Smith line. They make me happy because the colours are so juicy, even when I suck so much. At least the hundreds of failures are glowy.
Enjoy your time. :}
It's great your trying new things!
and that sounds like an awesome vacation.
that's nice that you're studying up on watercolor!
it's a medium i've gotten a bit frustrated with myself, i need to pick it up again; thanks for the book suggestions!
take care!