It has been another very hectic month for many reasons. I am fortunate to have started this daily Art practice a few years ago. Without this practice I think I would have been using the old excuse, “that I didn’t have time” a lot!
Yesterday, I achieved another milestone with my daily art practice a, ‘Watercolour Sketch a Day.
As of yesterday, I have completed a Watercolour sketch daily for the past 6 years.
“Direction” – 6 Years of a Watercolour Sketch a Day!
It’s a journey I started to:
Obtain consistent practice
Learn new skills – sketching, drawing, painting
Create an escape of sorts from the day
I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey and have already completed the ‘6 years Day 1 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day’, today, so the journey will continue.
“Iceberg” – 6 Years, 1 Day of a Watercolour Sketch a Day!
This ‘year’ I intend to attempt some different subjects over time and aim to include people in some of the images.
I am looking forward to where this journey takes me next!
The ‘Serpent’ was painted with the Sumikondo watercolours. The sand, ocean, and most of the island in the distance were painted with the Gansai Tambi watercolours. Daniel Smith paints were used a little for shadows, mainly under the rock.
The idea for the painting came from one of my Watercolour Sketch a Day sketches. This week’s painting was quite a different image in terms of colour and texture than the sketch I did below. Different paint and paper were used for this one.
As always, I am very grateful to receive gifts at any time, including Christmas, as we all should be.
This Christmas, I received a 36-set of Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolours. I saw a fellow Macarthur Art Group member with these some months ago. Then, I did a bit of research on them.
I was asked a month before Christmas for some Christmas present hints. This set was one of four suggestions I gave out so the element of surprise was still there.
Here is my first attempt using them.
I love the colours’ richness. The paint’s texture is also impressive. According to the instructions, it can be used as a Gouache or as Watercolour.
I am looking forward to experimenting with these paints and getting to know them. Lots of fun on the horizon to be sure.
Recently, I posted a Watercolour I painted using Baohong – The Master’s Choice Rough, Block Watercolour Paper. This time however, I decided to paint with Daniel Smith and Sumikondo Japanese Watercolour paint.
The materials used are as follows:
Baohong The Master’s Choice Artist Rough texture, Block Watercolour Paper
Daniel Smith, and Sumikondo Japanese Watercolour paint
Neef brushes
Size: 15 x 23cm (5.9 x 9 inches)
“Thinking Time”
In the above image, the colours used were:
Sky: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue
Ocean: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna
Boulders/rocks: Sumikondo Blue-Black
Sand: Daniel Smith: Yellow Ochre, Titanium White
“Rocky Beach”
In the above image, the colours used were:
Sky: Daniel Smith: Cerulean Blue and Ultramarine Blue
I paint a fair bit from imagination. I also use my own reference photos. Sometimes, I paint from photos I come across on the Internet (and give them credit, of course).
The painting below comes from my imagination, and I called it, “Seaview.’
Materials used:
Baohong The Master’s Choice Artist Rough texture, Block Watercolour Paper
Daniel Smith, and Winsor & Newton Watercolour paint
Neef brushes
Size: 15 x 23cm (5.9 x 9 inches)
From the moment I starting using this paper, I loved it. I had never used rough textured paper or block paper before.
I purchased the smaller size just to try it out. Am looking to purchase a larger block. This paper is so much fun to use. 🙂
Last Sunday, I completed my first A4 Watercolour painting for what seems like an eternity.
My Watercolour Sketch a Day continues to roll on…as of today it is 4 years and 216 days however, getting to do an A4 Watercolour has been a challenge over the last 13 months. With moving house, growing the business, family and personal health challenges and other projects it felt for a while there that it was almost impossible to do one.
I’m happy to say that ‘I have broken through that barrier.’
The first A4 painting I was doing on Sunday was going well…until it wasn’t. It was of receding mountain ranges and, after laying the relevant washes, I wrecked the mountains endeavouring to add detail.
The previous night I didn’t get a good night’s sleep and I was about to just walk away from my Art Room, when I thought, ‘maybe I could something simpler’, and at least I could come away with something. The image below is what I painted.
A much simpler scene to paint and I am pleased with the result given how tired I was. I do think in hindsight that the rocks are not punchy enough so I will work on that next time.
Still, as stated previously, I am pleased with the result and I had fun which is the main thing.
Communicating Creatively 