#teaching myself how to watercolour paint. its very fun.

[ollylotl]

one rises, one sets

[southfarthing]

so i am absolutely in love with your art. everything you make is so so beautiful, and the amount of detail you put into each piece is just stunning. i’ve always wanted to use watercolours like that, and so i suppose i’m wondering, do you have any tips for painting with watercolours, or even just for making art in general? you’re truly a wonderful artist <3

oh gosh thank you so much this is such a wonderful and kind message 🥺🥺🥺 I'm so happy you like my art!!! and it's amazing to me that you're asking me for advice because I very much feel like I'm still a beginner, so I guess my first tip (that i should follow too) is to have faith and confidence in your work!!

but I'll try to make a very messy list of tips?

paint what you love!! it's a long process and you're less likely to get impatient and rush things if you're enjoying it

for watercolour, first I draw a faint outline, then I use the wet-on-wet method to get as much soft colour down as I can, and then I go in slowly and add details to the paper once it's fully dry. in my most recent painting (will post it soon!) I tried wetting both sides of the paper instead of taping the paper down and only wetting one side, and I really liked it! it gave me so much more time to do wet on wet!

depth helps make it look more 3d, so I try to make the background more washed out and paint the foreground with more value. it's always fun to go in with some black & white gouache or acrylic to add contrast to the lowlights and highlights too!

I watched this video recently and I really liked it!! especially the point about focusing on something and letting the rest be not too detailed – that's something I want to work on more myself!

yeah just youtube tutorials!! they teach lots about the use of values, colours etc (like which colours to mix depending on their tones)

no matter how much you plan, sometimes the paint does its own thing and you gotta go with the flow and work from there

even if it doesn't end up looking the way you wanted it to, it's still your work of art and that's amazing!!!!!!

[thehappymessproject]

81/100 - Giving ourselves focus and love by choosing one word for the year

This is very exciting for me to write about : I’ve never really done it. 

A little bit more than five years ago, I just had discovered the incredible work of Dr. Brene Brown on vulnerability and courage, and it simply blew my mind. I felt like I was reading about one of the most important things I could ever educate myself on. 

The books and her TED talks already had changed my daily life in subtle touches, but I wanted more. I also knew I needed more. I was afraid to forget about it in the next few months and hated the thought. So, I took some time to reflect, and over a couple of weeks, came to a big decision (especially for me who used to be commitment phobic in so many ways).

I would spend a year learning courage.

It became one of the most exciting years of my life. For me, learning how to be brave was essentially about saying yes to a lot of things I would have usually say no to out of fear, and no to a lot of things that would bring me comfort in the moment, but preventing me to do things that really mattered to me in the long run. 

I tried out a lot of activities I had never tried, but felt curious about like climbing, sewing, baking pastries... 

I paid a lot of attention to those moments where I would feel afraid, ashamed or uncomfortable, and pushed myself to be brave in my way of dealing with them. 

Choosing to tell a friend that I was feeling hurt and set a boundary rather than silencing myself in hope it doesn’t happen anymore. 

When really down, channelling more energy to do anything that would bring myself self-loving comfort rather numbing comfort. 

Breaking off relationships that felt depleting to me.

It was a tiring year, sure. But it was also one of the most empowering ones. Each time I would choose the brave path instead of the comfortable one, I would feel stronger and more centred. Embodying the experience of bravery, training those courage muscles. 

I realised at the end of the year, when I was feeling really sad about seeing what I called my brave year coming to a year, that I didn’t want to give it up, but I also didn’t want to repeat it as is either. I also noticed that overall, being brave for me had a lot to do with exploring my creativity. 

So I decided to make the next year my creative year. I had so much fun! 

I started taking way more photos, tried to learn guitar and piano for a while, spent a few months sewing like a crazy person, I wrote more that year than in the decade before, and towards the third trimester of my year devoted to creativity, started to paint with watercolours and do the lettering you can now see on my artsy Instagram account. 

Both activities were those bringing me the most joy while allowing me to let my guard down : when painting, I was less attacked by the voices in my head trying to bring me down and discourage me. (ah, the joy of defence mechanisms bullying us...) I was finding more easily ways to bypass them than in any other setting. 

I noticed that creating (and doing anything that mattered to me in my life) was only possible for me when I would take good care of myself. When I would commit to loving myself everyday by showing up. But self-care was so hard for me... 

So... Yeah you guessed it, I took my practice to a new ground by declaring the following year my self-care year. 

I had just discovered the existence of the Find what feels good channel on Youtube a few weeks before, I had ended my creative year with The artist’s way, a 8 weeks program using Julia Cameron’s wonderful book to discover or recover our inner artist, which had taught me how to journal in a way that would connect myself to my heart better than ever. And I had dabbled for a few years on and off with meditation. I had all the tools lying before me already. 

As often when we live an intentional life, the Universe (or call it luck if you’re more comfortable) was helping in subtle ways that can only be noticed when we pay attention to the opportunities we are presented with, and allow ourselves to take them. 

So I did just that. I finally found the courage to take better care of myself and making it a priority. That year was full of softness and whole heartedness. It felt like discovering the essence of who I was. 

Since I was struggling with commitment (still), I focused on one self-loving activity at the time. A few weeks mostly meditating. A few weeks mostly doing yoga. A few weeks getting back to journaling. I thought I could choose which activity I would keep, but realised they all were giving me so much, and yet so differently that I wanted to keep them all. 

I would still create more and more, and take my work as a psychologist to another level, and was struggling to make everything fit in my daily time. Now that I knew better what kind of life I wanted, I felt stuck at making it work as a whole.

So I dedicated last year to finding Balance. I loved it so much. It was like deepening everything I had built in the previous three years. The courage, the creative energy and the love. 

It taught me how to be more flexible and finding way to make things stick, one step at a time, one day at a time and to honour my pace. I set up a few challenges to help on the way. Strengthened my morning routine that felt easier and more necessary than an evening one (currently working on that). 

I explored how my love for art, psychology and writing could be intertwined. It felt like coming home to myself. 

This “year” actually took a little bit more time. I used to choose my word of the year at the end of summer. But last September, I felt stuck. I had just moved to the other side of the globe (another marvellous consequence of all that personal inner journey), felt completely thrown out of balance and quite depleted. 

Then, a few weeks ago, after a few months finding my footing back, it was suddenly obvious. What I struggled with and had to practice the most lately was letting go : finding ways to trust myself, my intuition and the process. I’d say in short : trusting the universe and finding the flow. 

So this year will be my year of flow.

I started by deciding that my practice could now fit better at the beginning of the year rather the school year, the end of the year being a perfect time to reflect and gather our bearings, taking stock. 

When I’m down, finding flow is about giving myself the time and space necessary to heal, letting go of the shoulds and musts. 

When I’m really happy, it’s more about finding pace, not over doing it. 

It is already teaching me how to let go of things, people and spaces that were really important at a time, but became depleting over time. I have never ever felt as free and can’t wait to see more of what this year is going to teach me. 

Choosing one word to devote every year to has with no doubt changed my whole life from the inside out. Like a soothing lighthouse in the dark, it gives me a focus point to always rely on. 

I am never feeling like time passed by without my awareness anymore, being intentional makes time pass more slowly and mindfully. It is helping me to remind myself over and over what is important, and what gets in the way and distract me. It is teaching me more about myself than I ever felt possible. It is allowing me to create the life I really want. 

If reading that essay inspired you to find your own word, I would love nothing more than to know which one you chose and maybe why f you would feel comfortable sharing. 

Here are a few questions that can help to start : What are you feeling like you lack of? What would your ideal 2019 be devoted to? What is preventing you from living your best life right now?

Write your answers down and any word that come up too : it will help you a lot to make it real, tangible. The right one for you will spark something in your body when you write it or if you start making art around it. Let yourself feel it, and trust it. Your heart knows.

See you soon,  Love,  L. 

[brokeforart]

Artist’s Supplies: Sonali Zohra aka Dangercat

Hello fine people! I seem to be a little slow these days posting on this blog, but I mainly blame a lot of illustration work that has been happening on the side. But I am excited to bring to you a series of artist interviews: three amazing illustration girl friends who I have the pleasure of meeting every now and then. Our meetings comprise of discussing work, testing each other’s art supplies and faffing in general. For my first lady, I have the incredible one: Sonali Zohra aka Dangercat. She shares with us information about her materials, her process and a peek into her sketchbook. Read more below!

1. Real Name/Artistic Name: Sonali , Dangercat

2. Tell us a bit about yourself: I’m an illustrator based out of Bangalore. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art and a Diploma in Photography.  

3. What moment in life/ artist/ project inspired you to take up illustration? No moment, I always remember drawing. I started as a kid and never grew up.

4. What is your personal work inspired by? What themes and topics do you enjoy working with? It's inspired by what i'm reading or listening to at the time, also my surroundings; plants, animals and my home. I don't have any specific themes or topics, my interests vary from mythology to science and psychology. I'm still in a formative stage when it comes to putting my thoughts down effectively. My main focus at the moment is to train my brain to think and visualise in different ways, I don't want to commit to one medium or topic I'm learning and exploring. 

5. What is your preferred method of beginning a project? Do you have a fixed process? It depends on what the project is. If its a book, then I'll read it a few times, figure out what kind of visuals would go with the story and what medium and colour palette would fit best. The next step would be sketches (here I collaborate with the editor and writer a bit). If its an album cover, I would be listening to the album constantly and drawing to it, that's all. Some projects require a lot more research, I enjoy this the most. I get to teach myself to draw new subjects while learning about topics outside my field (conservation, biology, the process of printing a book, or history). In short, I have no fixed process. 

6. What do you do, to deal with the general procrastination/lack of ideas that can affect all freelancers? Its tough, I used to get into a block that lasted days..but now I don't force it. I do something else for a bit and come back to it, it seems to be working (so far). 

7. Any rituals you follow before you sit to work, to help you get into the zone? A clean studio/ work-space! If things around me are in order, it helps getting my thoughts in order as well. I make a lot of lists and feel a sense of satisfaction when I strike them off. I also find that a good schedule of sleep, diet, exercise and down time help in keeping you clear headed for when you need to be productive.  Its a misconception that "freelance" is a whole lot of "do-what-you-want-when-you-want", when it actually takes a lot of discipline to pull off successfully.

8. Describe the materials you use the most in your work? Most of my commercial work is done digitally now, but you can replicate traditional mediums digitally as well...so that’s what I do. It’s faster. Sometimes I use ink and pens, sometimes gouache and acrylic for my personal work, journals and sketchbooks.

9. Tell us about the other materials you love experimenting with? I like charcoal and graphite and watercolour. Watercolor the most actually..

10. Which product has lasted you the longest/ you have had for a ages? I have a set of Soft Pastels I got 6 years ago. I have no idea what brand they are, the label seems to have been misplaced… I haven’t come across any other pastels with the same richness in colour.

11. Is there specific materials you find yourself picking up over and over?Yeah the Uni Pin Fine Liners and Copic Multiliners. I do a lot of pen work and they are the best I’ve used for details. They last long and are consistent.

12. If you could keep a kit of 4-5 materials only, what would they be? Fine liners, watercolour paints, graphite pencils, soft pastels and willow charcoal.

13. Which is your favourite material/medium and why? Willow charcoal- that black is really black and I like how it crumbles and how you can mix it with paint as well to create marble –like textures.

14.  Which material/medium are you dying to try? Oil paint! But I’m intimidated by them and have been for years.

15.  We all know that art materials are very expensive. If you could buy any supply your heart desires, no matter the cost, what would it be? Probably one of those gigantic Windsor & Newton watercolour sets. Ten shades of green.

16. If you could offer advice on art materials, for upcoming artists/students what would it be? Try everything twice. Don’t stick to just one medium, learn and experiment as much as possible. Understanding the use of material would mean learning how to translate what’s in your head onto paper most accurately.

17. The most underrated material/medium? Ball pen! It’s the most fantastic tool.

18. If you could dive into one artist’s supply stash, who would it be? Yours :) I have, and I’ve learnt so much, thank you!

19. Name an artist whose studio you would love to work in? No one in particular. I would pick a place with good music, cozy space with lots of things to be inspired by, coffee and periodic conversations.

20. Last piece of advice for upcoming artists on finding what material works for you? Use everything. You can make it work with whatever medium you choose and it doesn’t matter as long as you’re having fun. You’ll eventually start unconsciously leaning to one that feels closer to what you’ve visualized in your head, and that’ll be the one.  Also exchange as much knowledge you can with your friends, draw together and share your stash!

You can view more of Sonali’s work at the links below! Follow her, like her work and show some love :) Instagram Website Facebook

[doodlewash]

My name is Tony White and I’m from Tasmania, Australia. I wake up, having dreamed about painting and make my way to the kitchen to make a coffee. As the dark, golden espresso drips consistently from the spout, I steam my milk. It transforms from thin to a luscious, velvety liquid that pairs perfectly with the double-shot of espresso that awaits.

As I pour the milk into the coffee, to create one of the best ‘marriages’ in the culinary world, it occurs to me that I need to do a painting, using only espresso, with no paint. I did that and although the coffee painting was a long time ago and unsuccessful, it was a turning point.

As a kid, I always drew stuff. I was never very good, but perhaps better than the kid next to me, most of the time. I remember having a set of water paints given to me as a gift. They were little round cakes of barely-there pigment. It came with a little brush that had about 5 hairs in it. I was around 9 years old. It was great fun. I remember being upset when certain colours ran out.

It was then that I accidentally started to learn how to mix colours. When I was a teenager, an elderly English lady moved next door to us and became fast friends with my Mum. I hadn’t painted since the old cakes ran out years earlier, but when I found out our new neighbour (Beatrice) was a watercolourist, I was immediately hooked again.

She was great. She bought me a set of Winsor & Newton Artist quality paints with the proviso that I paint with her in her studio. I did. It was amazing. She taught me so much about paint being fresh and expressive and vibrant. I loved those days.

Unfortunately, she moved away, and I stopped painting. This whole time, I also played guitar, so music took over for the next 20 years or so.

I was inspired one day to pick it up again, so I got some materials, set up a spare room as a studio and away I went. I was hooked. Again. It was around this time that the coffee incident happened. It is true that I dream about painting. I did then. I do now. I love it. It is infectious.

I began attending workshops of some of the greats in the field and I was soon inspired to teach a workshop myself. My local Art Society hosted it and it was full and a great success. I used to teach guitar, so I have always loved the teaching side of things, so it was a natural fit. I love it.

Materials I use are Schmincke paints, Saunders Waterford 300g ROUGH paper and various brushes. I have been paying a lot of attention to my Youtube channel that is slowly growing. I love teaching. Making tutorial videos for YouTube is very satisfying as it gives me direct contact with other artists and students all around the world.

I am lucky enough to have begun gaining a strong reputation as a tutor and having quit my day job a little over a year ago, I am keeping busy, teaching all over Australia and starting to head overseas with it as well.

I am inspired by light. Even in the most innocuous of scenes, if the light is dramatic and the mood is misty or sharp or rainy, then I’m in. I believe a painting should move you emotionally and if you have to explain it, then it isn’t doing its job.

If I had any advice for anyone out there, it would be to immerse yourself totally into your painting. Be a student of the greats. Copy them for a while but be very conscious to develop your OWN style and vision. It takes time and it is forever evolving. Keep going. Paint. Paint. Paint.

Tony White Facebook Instagram YouTube

GUEST ARTIST: "My World In Watercolour" by Tony White - #doodlewash #WorldWatercolorGroup #watercolor #watercolour #Tasmania My name is Tony White and I'm from Tasmania, Australia. I wake up, having dreamed about painting and make my way to the kitchen to make a coffee.

[doodlewash]

My name is Prerana Kulkarni. I am an artist based in Southern California, USA. I love to create vibrant and colorful paintings. I am a self-taught artist who has taken short workshops and online classes with master artists like Susan Sarback, Camille Przewodek and Geri Medway to enhance my skills.

I grew up in India and during my school years, I always loved art class. During summer vacations, I used to try out different mediums – watercolor, acrylic, fabric paints etc. – all on my own!! But I never had formal instruction. Later, I got busy with studying engineering college, job, life…

In 2008, I took my very first oil painting workshop in a community college and fell in love with the painting process. Within 3 years, I started getting selected in local juried shows. I was inspired by the feeling that even others had started liking my paintings!!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The experience of creating brought profound joy to me and it almost felt like I got addicted to the smell of oil paints and palette knife painting. Each year, I took intensive week-long workshops with master artists and for the rest of the year practiced in my studio. And this journey continues… painting became my passion!!

In 2016, I rediscovered myself with watercolor painting. I just started to experiment on my own and was stunned by the results! Specially, I liked my flower paintings better in watercolors. So I continued to paint even in larger sizes and started getting into national juried shows!

So now, I paint both in oils and watercolors. In whatever medium or subject I choose to paint, I first try to find an interesting composition of light and shadow shapes. Then, I study the effect of light and try to capture the light in my paintings. I paint from photographs for the most part. But for still life paintings, I like to paint from a live setup.

My Inspiration is light anywhere and everywhere! I paint pets, flowers, fruits, still life, portraits – and inspiration has always come to me by the beauty of the natural world, as well as fond memories.

For my oil paintings, I paint in an impressionist style using a palette knife. One, I like the texture of the painting when a palette knife is used and two, cleanup is a breeze. Just wipe with kitchen towel and you’re done! It also produces a clean paint on the canvas. The oil paints I use are M. Graham Artists’ oil colors and I use canvas panels. The last couple of years or so, I am working on watercolor paintings and developing a series on florals.

Interestingly, my watercolor florals are created in realist style. Don’t know how that happened! I mostly use Maimeri Blu Artist Colors. I do have a few Winsor & Newton and Holbein colors too. The paper I use is natural white Arches Paper, either 140 lb OR 300 lb coldpress. Typically, for a painting bigger than 16×20 inches, I like to use 300 lb Arches coldpress since it is a bit heavier.

In terms of techniques, I never mix 2 or more different colors on my palette. I use the palette only to mix water into a color to vary its intensity. Instead, I use a glazing/layering technique a lot to achieve a desired color in my watercolor paintings. In other words, all my “color mixing” happens directly on the paper.

This technique allows me to work on my paintings over multiple days, a little bit at a time. I find this very useful since I have limited time to paint at the end of the day after my day job and house chores.

While doing all of the above, I do teach private students or conduct workshops on demand. I feel teaching someone is a very valuable experience and very satisfying to see a student making progress in their desired medium.

My Artistic Challenge And Fun Project

I like to take up challenges, my last one was live painting in an opening ceremony at the Anaheim Convention Center. The stage was huge, with live musicians on one side and my painting setup on other side. In the center of stage were Indian Classical dancers.

The music was Indian Classical music, representing the theme “five elements of nature”. My challenge was to create a 5 x 9 foot painting on canvas in 12 minutes, in the designated theme and presenting a magical experience in front of a 4000+ audience. It was an absolutely fulfilling experience!!

I hope my paintings bring JOY and COLOR into your life!!

Prerana Kulkarni Etsy Instagram Facebook Website Pinterest

GUEST ARTIST: "Journey to Magical Watercolors" by Prerana Kulkarni - #doodlewash #WorldWatercolorGroup #watercolor #watercolour My name is Prerana Kulkarni. I am an artist based in Southern California, USA. I love to create vibrant and colorful paintings. 784 more words