Sunset Over the Harbor #hahnemühle #hahnemühleexpression #dinawakley #schmincke

I have had the most fun over the weekend working on this piece I am calling

Sunset Over the Harbor.

Let me walk you through it. 

I used a block of Hahnemühle Expression Cold

Pressed Watercolor Paper to create this piece on. 

It began with a large sheet of Canson Watercolor

paper and I  just rolled out a lot of 

Dina Wakley acrylic colors in stripes. 

(Just squeeze a dot of color and brayer it as

far as you can make it go.)

 Then I used the Hahnemühle Expression Cold Pressed

watercolor block to 'clean' the brayer.

I just rolled back and forth after each color until the brayer was clean.

You can see in the shot above how the color

looked at the beginning. 

Just kind of blotchy and patchy and pretty.

Then I used a pencil and started the placement of

the waves I wanted to use.

 I tried to use a micron to add ink, but the texture of this Expression paper was intense enough that I changed to a regular black sharpie pen to ink over the lines for the waves, and to make the lighthouse and the start of the sun.

 I really love the texture of the Expression paper

and the bright colors showing through the bones

of my drawing.

 A couple boats and the rays of the sun rounded out

the drawing, then I started adding color with my

favorite Schmincke watercolor pans.

You just can not go wrong with their color

and they worked so wonderfully on this Hahnemühle paper!

And I love how you can still catch glimpses of the

underlying brayered color. 

And that texture! It's amazing!

 I have never done a lighthouse or boats,

so this was a first for me. A lot of fun

and I am really happy with the way it

turned out!

Those little white highlights on the waves

are a simple white gelly roll pen. 

I thought you might like some detail shots.

This piece is approximately 9" x 12".

I left it on the watercolor block until it was completely

finished and the paper was totally dry.

Then I removed the page from the block with a metal

palette knife. 

I like that most of Hahnemühle's papers come in block

form, so you can let your art dry in place before removing it.

That way your page doesn't curl or warp,

it dries totally flat and stays that way when

you remove it.

I am working on a review of the

Hahnemühle Expression Cold Pressed Watercolour

Block - making enough art using various media

so I can give it a fair overall review.

So far the paper is batting 1000.

Want to pick up some Expression 

so you can give it your own review?

You can purchase some here.

Day 65 and 66 #the100dayproject #zentangleallaround #hahnemühle

 Yesterday I blogged about the colors I used to make this piece of art. 

I used Schmincke and Da Vinci watercolors. 

Schmincke has for a long time been my favorite brand. 

Da Vinci is pretty amazing, too!

Here is the piece I showed you yesterday.

I literally sat down with a water brush full of water,

some sample dots of color from the new Schmincke limited edition set, 

and a couple half pans of Da Vinci watercolor.

I swiped colors back and forth and blended some edges.

I left some edges rough and let the water 

just seep out onto the edges of the paper.

 That would bring us up to day 65 of

The 100 Day Project!

I used a Zebra Sarasa Fineliner and two of

the Sarasa Technical Pens to add some tangles. 

I really love how it turned out!

For day 66, I used some basic dime store colored pencils 

to add some highlights and shade to a few locations. 

Love it so much more now.

If you kind of squint and look at it through your eyelids,

it looks like a little smiling monster guy with a long beard.

It's awesome!

Hahahahaha!

I am working in a Bamboo Mixed Media book

from Hahnemühle. 

Review to be coming very soon. 

Day 64 #the100dayproject #zentangleallaround #hahnemühle

For day #64 of

The 100 Day Project

I got to play with some new toys.

I started with a spiral pad of

Bamboo Mixed Media paper from Hahnemühle.

I purchased mine from Amazon.

My friend Jennifer McLean recently had the 

honor of choosing the colors for 

Wet Paint's new Schmincke's custom palette. 

Jennifer was able to send me some dots of

the colors to try out for myself.

(I have already ordered my full set of colors

in a wonderfully beautiful tin!)

So, while watching reruns of Marvel Agents of SHIELD 

a couple nights ago, I used a water brush 

and just started swooshing some color 

around a page in my Bamboo spiral book.

That bright pink is Opera Rose,

the pretty blue is cobalt turquoise.

That next shade of blue is helio cerulean. 

I even added some French ultramarine.

Jennifer also sent me some samples of

Da Vinci watercolors - I added some

quinacridone rose and permanent magenta.

I left this page sitting out overnight to

dry and this is the result.

I love it!

These colors are so yummy and 

look so incredible together.

And the Bamboo page handled all the water 

I used with no problem at all.

I tend to be a little heavy handed with the water,

even when using a water filled brush. 

Love my day 64 so much!

Now I am adding tangles and hope to show

you that tomorrow for day 65.

Days 37 - 43 of The 100 Day Project #ledaartsupply #zentangleallaround #the100dayproject

 This past week has seen me working hard on getting my book 

Tangle Starts Strings published.

Day 37 actually appears in the book as part

of the explanation for shading tangled art.

Tangles are golden (mine,) Meer and footlites.

 Day 38 is also in the book as artwork for

my pattern called line dance.

  Day 39 features Footlites, a pattern created by Carole Ohl, a fellow CZT. 

I really like the way it looks

against that Cosmic Shimmers watercolor

background in my Baby Leda.

 It appears in the Tangle Starts Strings as

artwork for Carole's pattern footlites.

 Days 40 and 41 are from a prompt I gave in 

Zentangle All Around,

my Facebook tangling group. 

I will do a blog post soon that details the work.

Tangles are footlites, printemps, shattuck,

mertail and blade.

Days 42 and 43 in my Baby Leda was another

landscape done with Schmincke watercolors.

A blog post will follow shortly detailing this

one as well.

I am practicing these landscapes to be able

to create a large one.

All these works are in my

Baby Leda Pocket Sketchbook

from Leda Art Supply.

I am an artist Ambassador for Leda,

and really, really love using this little

sketchbook for The 100 Day Project.

Want to read more about the project?

Click here.

Want to join us in

Zentangle All Around?

Click here. 

Want to check out my Tangle Starts Strings book?

Click here.

Yay!

 It is currently #2 on the Hot New Release list.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased

the book so far!

You are truly appreciated!

Easter Week #ledartsupply #zebrapenus #schmincke

Easter week.

The week leading up to the remembrance

that is the most special one for every Christian.

Easter Sunday - the day we remember

not the death, but the

resurrection of a living Christ.

 Since I started making art a few years ago,

each Easter I make a special piece to celebrate.

While I am here, I'd like to walk you through

the making of this page.

This is my medium size Leda Sketchbook.

I love the book - it works so well with 

everything I throw at it!

(By the time my page was complete,

some areas had as much as 10+ layers

of wet media. The page held up great.

No buckling or dimpling, I did hold it in place

with a couple small clips till it was dry.)

I started with a base layer of Golden Fluid Acrylics.

 My hope was to create a page showing that the

tomb of Jesus Christ is empty.

Where better to start than in the scripture that

tells us about that time.

Luke 24:1-12, describes the women taking spices

to prepare the body of Jesus for His eternal resting place.

When they arrived, 

the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.

I printed the New International Version of that

scripture, hand tore the edges and attached

it to my page with Dina Wakley's clear gesso.

A layer underneath and a layer across the top

both adhered the piece and sealed the edges.

I used standard (cheap) computer paper which is

why it looks translucent. I knew when I painted

over it that would all be covered up

and the words of the Bible would remain.

No problemo.

 I lightly sketched the main elements in pencil, 

then used my Schmincke Watercolors

to start placing the color blocks.

My thought was to make it look like as if

you are peering through the empty tomb

to the crosses beyond where the 

crucifixion happened.

When the page was completely dry, I used a 

paper towel to lightly buff the entire page.

This is important to remove any dust or

loose color particles so they won't clog up

your pens.

 My technical drawing pens from Zebra Pen

worked perfectly over these colors. 

I outlined the various areas, and started

tangling that tree.

If you are a tangle artist, you will recognize 

that tree to be the tangle pattern Finery.

 I continued with those same technical pens

and a white UniBall Signo Gel Pen and did the

remainder of the pen work. 

I darkened the edges to the tomb opening

to make it stand out a bit more.

I felt like the rocks were too dark so . . . 

 . . . I used an opaque white watercolor and

brushed some over the top of the rocks to

lighten them a bit.

A pencil and a tortillon brought a little shade

to the words in the scripture I wanted to

emphasize. 

And a parting thought to . . .

Rejoice in His mercy.

Were it not for that mercy we would not

have a hope for tomorrow. 

I hope you are encouraged as we go

into Easter Week, to remember the real reason 

for Easter is not the bunny and the candy -

although those things are fun and tasty -

but to remember the risen Savior! 

Have a great week!

Supplies used: Leda Medium Sketchbook, Schmincke Watercolor Pans,
Dina Wakley Clear Gesso, Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Pens,
UniBall Signo Gel Pen. 

Anatomy of a Pig #hahnemühle #hahnemühle_usa #zebrapen @zebrapenus #mindylacefield #schmicnke

I thought about showing a progression of 

photos in the making of this little piggy.

Hence the "Anatomy" part of my blog title.

But.

We are in the midst of a massive snow storm

and the photos turned out so dark.

There is currently no sun.

My little piggy looked awful.

This was a scanner photo, 

which is why he looks better. 

Hahaha! 

This is the first pig I've done. 

I think he needs a bow sitting at an angle

just in front of that ear on the left.

Too late!

Next time for sure!

I am loving this animal tutorial I got from

Mindy Lacefield's Etsy shop!

Drawn/painted on Hahnemühle's exceptional

Cézanne Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper.

My paper of choice right now.

I love it!

Watercolored with Schmincke watercolor pans,

line work done with 

Zensations Technical Drawing Pens

from Zebra Pen. 

Encouragement and assistance provided by 

my ever wonderful friends

Sandra Strait and Jennifer McLean.

Where would I be without you two???

I don't want to find out!!!

I am an Artist Ambassador for Zebra Pen

who provided me with the pens for this project.

They worked awesomely over the watercolor

and the acrylic I used trying to cover up a

hot mess I made in the background. 

Love these technical drawings pens!

And

I am doing product reviews for

Hahnemühle Fine Art.

They provided me with the 

Cézanne Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper 

I used for said piggy.

Awesome paper!

I can't praise it enough!

No warping or dimpling -

and trust me! I used a ton of water -

several times -

on this sweet little piggy!

What should I work on next?

Hmmmm. 

I guess you will have to come back and see.

Thank you, faithful readers!

You are the reason I create!

Should you be encouraged to work on

a sweet little animal,

I would love to see it!

Oh My Word! I Drew a Bunny! #hahnemuhle #hahnemuhle_us #mindylacefield

 Oh, wow! 

I am so stoked that I was able to make

this sweet little bunny with Mindy Lacefield's

Etsy tutorial called 

Draw and Paint a Bird and Bunny!

What's that?

That looks like a bird?

Why, yes, it is a bird. 

It just wasn't my favorite

Although, the longer I look at her, 

the more I like her.

She has sass!

 But what I am uber excited about is this bunny!!!

This bunny right here!!!

So let me give you some background.

Mindy is this amazing Florida artist and I was 

originally drawn to her art because of her bunnies

and her Disney World drawings.

So much in fact that I have four of her books.

They are my favorites!

When I saw this tutorial I knew I had to do it!

Once I purchased the tutorial on Etsy and downloaded the pdf, 

I pulled out my 

Hahnemühle 

Cézanne Mould Made Watercolor 

hot pressed pad and got busy.

 Since I purchased this tutorial,

and this is the way Mindy makes a living,

I can not walk you through all the steps.

When I drew the bird, I didn't take any photos

along the way. 

I apologize for that.

But.

Really what I wanted to do was get straight

to this sweet little bunny face!

I mean . . . look at that little face!

 So I already told you I was painting on 

the Hahnemühle Cézanne paper -

for color I pulled out my Schmincke

2017 Limited Edition watercolor tin.

(Every time I type 'watercolor' my 

silly autocorrect changes it to 

Walterboro. 

You know. 

Because I say Walterboro all the time. 

Sheesh. Get with the program autocorrect.)

 I painted with a Tim Holtz water brush on a dry surface. 

I used this particular set of colors because 

it has that brilliant opera rose (pink)

 color I love so much!

When I bought this tin, I added a few colors

to fill it up. 

One of the colors I added was that may green.

And I don't recall if the tin came with

cobalt green turquoise, or if I added it,

but it's in there now and that's what I used

for the main part of the bird. 

See?

I addressed the bird.

And she really is growing on me.

But did I mention how much I 

L O V E 

this sweet little bunny???

Seriously. 

Going to make a girl bunny today.

I painted the two of them on one sheet of the

Cézanne hot pressed watercolor paper.

And because the pad of paper is both glued and gauzed 

on all four sides, I was able to paint with 

no warping, no rumpling. 

It was awesome!

Love this paper so much!

My friend Sandra told me how she paints four

pictures on a sheet of this paper.

Two on the front and because the paper is that fantastic! 

she can also paint two on the back.

When she has enough art work, she folds the 

pages in half and stitches them into books.

I am sure there are more technical terms for that

but that is what I understand about book making.

I can do it.

I have done it.

And I shall do it again!

Thanks to Mindy!

Thanks to Carol at Hahnemühle!

Now - on to a little girl bunny!

Yayayayayayayay!!!!