I finally figured out my watercolor paint storage issues....

Now I've got a good painted sample of each of my colors that I can carry along with me where ever I am painting.... AND I found the best boxes to keep my colors separated and easy to find!  The first two pictures are of the swatches I painted to fit inside the clear plastic boxes.  Now I can easily grab the colors I need and close the boxes.  And no more throwing them into a big Ziploc bag and hunting for the correct hue!   I only have six boxes and I estimated about 14 colors per swatch, but more than 14 watercolor paint tubes will fit into each container.
This bottom picture shows what the containers look like and how I've attached my swatches inside the container.  I am always so happy to be organized!

Art Journal Page... well sort of...

This isn't in my art journal, but it is a piece of Strathmore Ready Cut watercolor paper.  I found a bunch of watercolor paper on sale at Hobby Lobby sometime ago, so I decided to break open this package.

I painted some permanent rose  and new gamboge on the paper and let it dry.  It left some heart shapes, so I went with that and pulled a few out from behind.  I like the colors together.  I shaded some of it with pencil and added white and black paint pens and thought I was done.

I know some art journals have tons of things on each page and I love how they look, but I find that I am worried about it all becoming a mish-mash of shapes and you can't really see the message.  Maybe that's my style?? Maybe not??  Aren't artists supposed to know when to stop?   I know there were times that I had gone too far on a piece of artwork and then wished I hadn't put that last ~whatever~ on it.  Then there were times I said I was finished and later thought: hmmm it needs more...but I don't know what .... then much later I still felt that way! 

Anyone have any helpful comments? Is it  done? What would you add? Take off? Thanks for looking!

Happy New Year ~ Happy New Blog !

It's a new year and a new blog!  I admire watercolor paintings and oil paintings and I am hoping to really learn how to paint this year.  I've been trying on and off for 20 years!

 

So I am going to need you to help me see what techniques need improvement or see a technique that would have worked better on one of my paintings or journal pages.

 

I guess what I am saying is that I need a mentor to help guide me.  I know I like bright colors, but feel the need to translate the colors I see in a photo onto my watercolor paper or canvas.  I think it is so much more interesting to use different colors.   The other thing I know about my painting style is that I am much too controlling.  I want to be loose and free with color and shapes and let my audience "finish" the painting, but I am not quite sure how to do that.

 

I've read books by Tony Couch and they are amazing!  My favorite is “Watercolor”  You Can Do It!!  I "get" what he says about principles and values, I just don't get how to put it all in my paintings!  Anyone else out there understand what I mean??!!  I have so many watercolor technique books and have taken painting classes, but I feel like I am not finding my own style.  How do you develop your own style?  Does anyone know?

 

The other thing I want to figure out in watercolor painting is where to start?  Start with mid values and work from there?  And how can I create a value sketch without having superb drawing skills?  All these things to think about!!!

 

The first page in my moleskine journal is something I've never painted before: very basic shapes staying in the lines and letters.  I have painted landscapes and still life’s previously, but decided to just create shapes for the first page of the new year.

 

If you have suggestions or know of any challenges for beginners, email or comment below!

Angel