Day 20. Prickly Pear. Gouache, 8 x 8 in. The prickly pear pads can be all shades of green, yellow green, gray, silver, sage. Just not usually all on the same plant. 😆
Day 21. Gouache & mixed media on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press Paper. 4 x 4 in. S.M. Delgado. My scanner is still blurring parts of the image. (The top image, left side.) Don’t worry, it is not your eyes. 🤓 For this series, my main goal was to catch up, and get ahead. Six small pieces sounded like a plan. I chose a limited palette and started with large blocks of color. Dots and marks in a contrasting color were added next. In Photoshop I layered leaves, patterns and music for more interest.
Day 22. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. Repetition as composition.
Day 23. Gouache on Arches Cold Press Paper 140 lb. 4 x 4 in. By this time, I was starting to question my color choices. It felt like something was missing. 🤔 What do you think?
I received suggestions in the gathering group, and in my next post you will see the results. Stay tuned!
The February gathering is a 30-day event, despite the month not having 30 days. And the group gallery video is coming around the mountain! Our time to celebrate the fabulous art the members have brought to life!
Lets take it from the top. These are all 5 x 7 in., on Meeden pure cotton Watercolor Paper, 140 lb. Day 13, A Peruvian Apple cactus. These can grow up to 30 feet tall in the wild. They are twisty, and the spines are along the edges. They are sometimes used as a living fence. They have pretty reddish “apples”, and night blooming flowers. For the spines, I created stars in Photoshop, giving me groups of multiple spines to place.
Day 14, Abstract, mixed media with paint pen, marker and Caran D ‘Ache neocolor. I worked on two pieces that day, but I hit a wall on each. I saw a video, “How to get unstuck”, and it suggested to just play. That’s what I did. Just doodles really. Doodles and done!
Day 15. Ladybugs. Ok, yes. I have been on Youtube a lot this month. Watching gouache artists, and taking in all the information I can. A title on Ladybugs caught my eye. That inspired me to paint them. To be honest, this small painting took two days. Near the end, I was just ready to have it done, I was a day behind again. For that reason, I omitted their legs. My story is, their legs are curled up underneath. I’m sticking to it. 😄
Day 16. Another mixed media abstract. I tried to be loose, but it just looks stiff and frankly, messy to me. I started a series of four. But honestly, they all might end up looking completely different. I should have gone bigger over all. I used a Canson spiral bound sketchbook, taped off for four pieces. I was inspired by Betty Franks. I have been for years. Her style is loose, playful and very organic. I will try again!
Day 17. Ranunculus. Just having fun here.
Day 18. I’ve been trying to get ahead all month. So I don’t have to stress when my day keeps me from painting. But somehow, I have consistently posted late at night, and often, a day behind. This is a faux plant in a favorite vase. The paper scanned a soft, parchment tone, which I really like. A nice surprise, the paper looks bright white on the pad.
Day 19, Floral. I learned a trick. (From one of those many videos.) You might already know. I think it is very cool. If you squeeze a paint tube just above the pointed ends, It draws the paint back into the tube. Less chance of wasting paint and gunking up the cap. How cool is that? I wish I had learned that years ago. 😄
I am enjoying gouache. More experience will equal more enjoyment. I still struggle with the water/paint ratio. I often think I have it right. Then when I apply the paint, it is not fully opaque. Which means I have it too thin.
And now it is time for more painting practice.
Thanks so much for visiting! Have an awesome weekend friends!
I’ve had a hard time keeping up this week. Whoosh! That’s the sound of the days flying by. I’m in a stellar group who are also posting late at night.
From the bottom: Day six was the WIP for day 7, the yellow Palo Verde tree. That is an 8 x 8 inches. Day 8. Saguaro in the sun, 8 x 8. I had fun with this one.
Day 9. Thumb Butte. Gouache on Meeden pure cotton Watercolor Paper 140 lb. 5 x 7 in.
Day 10, 5 x 7 in. Succulent Garden. Prickly Pear, Cholla (forks), Ric Rac, Agave. Gouache & mixed media. I created the spines digitally. The spines on the Cholla are actually small stars. The agave was made digitally and the sun is something I have used before. Here I added some smudging to soften the details.
Day 11. Mingus Mountain. Gouache, 5 x 7 in. It was a cloudy gray day. I added a little color. A gouache fact. Light colors dry darker, darks dry lighter. It will take time and practice to know better what the results will be. For example, the front range here is much darker than I intended.
Day 12. Pine Trees. Gouache, mixed media 5 x 7 in. I had limited time, but I managed to get this out earlier in the day. (Not at Midnight. LOL) 😂 I painted the blended background on the Meeden block. I then painted ten practice trees. They were all horrible. In the tutorial I watched, she used a filbert brush. I only have two really old, small filberts. My tree looks nothing like her perfect sample. I am surprised and pleased with how mine turned out. The slightly separating brush, gave me tiny details that mimic pine needles. Fun! (Visit my Instagram profile to see better.)
I painted one tree, on a blank paper. I didn’t want to ruin the background. And I was trying to save time. In Photoshop I duplicated the tree, and flipped it horizontally. I then erased select areas to create a different silhouette.
Messy gouache palettes.
I ordered a new palette. The long one. It fits my space perfectly. I thought I wouldn’t need the others as much. But I use them all. 😆I continue to be amazed at how far the paint goes. If there is a unified look to the pieces, it is from using the leftovers.
Thanks so much for clicking, reading and viewing my gouache practice! So nice to have your company! Happy, awesome weekend to you!
