Day 17 - Primary Abstract

Primary Abstract

4 1/2" x 8 1/2" watercolor on paper

On the bottom area of yesterday's still life, I started playing around with some new watercolors to create graceful shapes. Began with yellow, brought mixed orange and some red over it, got some dry brushing in because I used paint right from the tube. Not just an experiment with this brand ut with some unfamiliar techniques. I like the "Cat's eye" shape on the left, it happened by itself and got some nice soft mingling going on within it. Some of the rest became dry brush. Blue was last but mixed very well with the Ultramarine.

Green's a bit muted because that's a warm yellow, but very glad to have purple cast blue and blue cast red for a combination.

For me abstraction itself is a huge experiment. I'm normally a completely figurative painter but today I thought I'd have a go. Not always my thing but I like this one, it's got figurative elements with the three plums but the rest is just shapes wandering around it. I guess the purple willow strand rambling left to right is also figurative but that's how my mind works - not in total abstractions. Or in keeping primaries unmixed. Some nice violet tones vanished in the photo being too dark. I also love the rough paper in the Stillman & Birn Beta journal for giving me that great dry brush effect.

Day 16: Pears, Plums and Clementine on Milk Glass

Pears, Plums and Clementine on Milk Glass

8 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Today I felt a good deal more ambitious and did this painting in several sessions with Caran d'Ache Neocolor II watersoluble crayons in my Stillman & Birn 8 1/2" x 11" hardbound journal. I love that heavy rough white paper, it has deep tooth and is very absorbent, works well with anything I throw at it.

Sketched this still life from life. A friend gave me five milk glass plates that are curved at the sides almost like a shallow bowl, I put one of them out for use. Then my home care guy went out and bought me fruit. He had an eye for the pretty ones, since he's also an artist! The big bright green pear, the two strange gold and reddish plums and a giant peach and beautiful nectarine now eaten were all a delight. I got photos of the nectarine. The peach was too irresistible.

Now that this is painted, I can find out what those plums taste like! The clementine and tiny brown pear came with my lunches from the food program I get, they were just right to add to the setup. 

I might even do another something today since it's not that late. I have the bottom of this page to do something else in water media. Might continue with those crayons or go back to the W&N markers or mess with watercolor pencils.

NC-II crayons are a lot like layering with colored penclls but softer and bolder. The light colors are translucent and somewhat opaque, though it helps to reserve pure whites. Texture is softer than the Cretacolor watersoluble oil pastels, still on the firm side compared to oil pastels. They wash out in a unique pigment rich lush color, not quite gouache as they have a little waxy shine and lack the matte effect of gouache. They can be used like it certainly! They rewet easily, going back into washed areas can create unintended lifting.