Re: Anybody else put brush to paper?

Here's one way to keep busy and keep my mind in the Sierra..even when I am trapped at home:



For extra credit, name the peak or the lake...

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Slaved away in the Tuolumne Store all last summer, but found time to visit Matthes Crest and North Dome - watercolor/ pen n ink.

Really nice. I can't even draw stick figures.

Very nice. I like North Dome in particular...

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Nice work there too Balz!
Been doing watercolors for years...(tough medium to master)... taught high school art too (until they dropped the art department), Agreed, a good way to stay Sierra connected during the winter months..

Employee housing in back of TM store...area fondly known to employees as Club Med.

Water colors usually done back at home, but...
sketchbook (pencils and pen-n-ink) always carried....just a few more from this summer 2016 -





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2016 05:28AM by markskor.

I'm certainly no artist, but there appear to be some talented people who frequent
this forum. Any chance you could have your work displayed at the Ansel Adams
gallery in the Village?

I don't know if they allow such things, but it would be some good exposure...

Last summer season, worked as a cashier in the Tuolumne Meadows store, and Jamie (the bosslady), agreed to let me hang 6 or seven of my watercolors (shown above) in both the store and grill.
As again planning to work there it again this season...(too much fun),... so, if in the TM area, stop in and say hi...old fart - silver hair and ponytail.
Will hopefully hang a few more again too...
mark

Marksor is talented and has training to boot.

I'm afraid I wouldn't get a passing grade....grin

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I would like to add my kudos to the two of you! Over the years I have had artistic friends and they have tried to share and teach me...and well... very impressed with both of you!

Thank you for sharing and may you enjoy winter in as many ways as possible!

Quote
balzaccom
I'm afraid I wouldn't get a passing grade....grin

Not so balz...actually not bad....B- (lol).
Maybe the teacher in me but...all your colors are too close in value...(mostly using only middle values).
Try adding some harsh darks...makes the whites pop!

Thanks for the advice...I need all I can get! grin.

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You both are vey talented, some nice-looking work. I never knew there were any elephants in Yosemite however!

Quote
PineCone
I never knew there were any elephants in Yosemite however!

Well, there is Mammoth Lakes...
Actually, the Boss Lady of the Tuolumne complex - Jamie - likes elephants...'nuff said there.

Should I keep my eyes out come May?

https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/renaissance.htm

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Peak isn't named.

Crown Lake

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@ chick-on Not to take away from the impressive artistry here - but what? how? Really?!

How did you name that peak? I was just there this summer and had no clue.

Truly remarkable...

It is Crown Lake, indeed. And the peak doesn't even have an elevation on my map...but it's part of the ridge out of the back side of Slide Mountain.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2016 11:31AM by balzaccom.

There's a marker up there....

Bearpoof usually game for such schenanigans...





(Poof above... Crown below)

Have fun

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OK...Marksor, here are two more. One done before your recommendation, (sunrise at Smedberg Lake)



and another done after hearing from you (Summit Creek)




But don't worry. I'm not asking for a correspondence course in watercolors!

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Balzaccom...

For some reason, cannot view your recent pics....interested though..
BTW, Never a problem to talk art theory, even here.
As for myself, been trying some snags.

I changed the settings on those photos. Maybe that will help. I hate Google photos.

Or here a link: https://goo.gl/photos/DmbBjAyVc96EHhou9

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Balzaccom -
The link worked...BTW, Smedberg is one of my favorite places too!

RE: art lessons. Rather than preaching about the many subtleties of watercolor,...here are two excellent books for you to read,.. Both highly recommended. (BTW, the first one - many often refer to as the "bible".)...I use this as my in-class teaching text -

Tony Couch - Watercolor, You can Do It! . Just a great teaching tool...will fix your paintings
Robert Dvorak, Travel Drawing and Painting

BTW, Dvorak yearly comes to Yosemite Valley and is one of the many guest artists who teach classes at the Yosemite Art Center - Just South of the big store in the Village - he comes in early June. (Was $10/ now (sigh), $15 for a small, 4-hour, plein air class.)
https://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/sites/default/files/useruploads/art-center-schedule-2017.1.pdf
See you there.
Mark

Cool. Now I have something for my holiday wish list!

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Briefly talked about use of values - (darks and lights) used to make your painting pop...so, here is your quick Xmas art lesson.
As a painter, you have an obligation to establish a center of attention - something to tell what the picture is really about. Whatever you choose, (you are the artist - could be someone's eyes, nipples, a tree - whatever), but you need the sharp contrast of a very dark area next to a lighter one... draws the eye in.



Matthes Lake

Thanks for the lesson! I've done three more over the holidays, although most of that time we were visiting our kids in NYC and Galveston. talk about contrast!

https://goo.gl/photos/592dW3ZjJyG8Mw6d7

https://goo.gl/photos/cF9VWy67kdrgWjkAA

https://goo.gl/photos/T47WjLon67epMVXN9 This last one a controlled burn in Yosemite Valley at dawn...

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2017 12:02PM by balzaccom.

Improving nicely Grasshopper.

Now about trees - sigh - yours need a little work there too.

Sierra trees are not telephone poles...branches?
Additionally, you can see light through the holes in trees...
Branches should all slightly different too. The more the slight differences, the more natural.

.

Funny you should mention that. The next one is going to be of an old juniper I love...

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So here's the new one--a nice Juniper up by Noble Lake on the PCT. .

---

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2017 10:09AM by balzaccom.

Today's lesson - save the whites
Watercolor has no white...just the paper. Before painting your scene, take 5 minutes first to do a Value Study. ...quick, rough sketch, deciding where the darks go, and where to save whites.
You, the artist, decide where to put the contrast - Parson's Lodge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2017 04:45PM by markskor.

So here's the one from a few days ago. There is a lot of white in it....photos may not be showing that well.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2017 01:28PM by balzaccom.

. "There is a lot of white in it..."
.
Well, yes and no...but a nice job nonetheless...getting better each time.
Values: Let's use a scale of 6 different values, where 1 is pure white, and 6 the darkest black..
What you call "a lot of white" is really closer to a 2.
As a suggestion, make 10+% of the picture pure white...tops and sun edges of hills and mountains, gleam marks, maybe just a few sparkles where you leave flecks unpainted..
Try for 3 areas of pure white - (dad, mom, and a baby is a good rule)..
Then put a 6 next to a 1...always looking for interesting contrasts...

Thanks. I think some of what you are seeing is the photography. About 30% of that last one has no paint or water on it at all... but keep the lessons coming. I've got another one I want to do in the next couple of days.

Can I offer a few classical guitar lessons in return? Or some wine classes???

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A bit concerned about teaching you too much here...you will be better than me soon...lol.
Anyway, a bit more theory. -
The reason I enjoy watercolor is that you cannot control it. You can do everything right, but when it dries, strange things often happen. Try to embrace the uncontrollable....That's the art.
Watercolor make use of transparencies...much like the light coming thru a stain glass window...use it!

Wet in Wet - : instead of leaving all that plain white in your rocks (on the right), or having the left rocks all in one dark color...let's talk under-painting.
Mix up a few small puddles - 2 or 3 colors (light values, any color desired), and keep them separate for now -. (~#2 in value). Then using clear water - (you do use 2 water buckets...one for rinsing and one for wet-n-wet?)...First paint a few of the rock areas just using the clean water only. -- (leaving small areas not wet on tops...these will remain white).. Wait until the sheen is off the paper...not dry just not runny...and then drop in (they call it Charging) a few drops of the lighter paint into the wet, maybe on top of each rock section and a different color or two on the bottom. Maybe tilt your board some and the colors will/ should flow/ mix together.. Do not futz with it - minimal strokes... then just let all dry! This is where the uncontrollable magic happens...just let it dry.

After the under painting is completely dry, you can then paint again safely...use your same darks over the top of the under-painting,, again leaving some small areas unpainted - white, letting the under painting colors to shine thru in sunlit places.
Experiment.

Next lesson - No hard lines.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2017 09:15AM by markskor.

I'll have to try some of that....

Here's the most recent one---which uses none of the techniques you just described! It's a bit of an homage to those old WPA posters...

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2017 09:14AM by balzaccom.

Balz...nice trees!...you're learning! They could be straight up though.
(Just an FYI...any critique is not meant as negative. It's just easier to point out the same mistakes that I went through too.)

As you have probably figured out already, watercolor is a thinking man's (or woman's) medium...actually more time should be spent pondering than painting. Unlike oils or acrylics, you only get one try. Attempt to use fewer strokes if possible, and when ready to paint... one dynamic stroke is always better than going back multiple times into the picture. Also, always let everything dry completely before adding any additional colors atop....won't cause blossoms or turn into mud..

Random thoughts:
You can always put a darker value (your trees) atop a lighter one (my sky) but not the reverse. Thus you have to think about things a bit - where you save the whites and the order in which you put paint down on paper really matters..
Do the sky first...same wet in wet technique, maybe darker values than used in the underpainting lesson mentioned above. One nice thing about W-n-W is that you can get right up to your sketch pencil lines with clean water and a small brush, and then, when the sheen is off the paper - too wet and colors won't mix,.. you can then charge dynamic colors into the clean water areas,. When you tilt your board to distribute colors - let them run down and mix - the paint will only flow to where the water stops...some control...use it.
Greens are tricky...do not use them straight from the tube...always mix with a little of some other color first. (red, yellow, or orange works well), or make your own by combining Ultra-marine or cobalt blue with yellows)
Start out with a larger brush initially for the lighter values and segue into smaller brushes later for the darks.

Hope this helps.
Mark

..



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2017 09:26AM by markskor.

It really helps. If you haven't figured out already, most of my paintings are from photographs I have taken during our hikes...and those curved trees are spherical aberration from the camera lens. I didn't really realize it until I looked at it on the paper.

And yes, you're absolutely right that thanks to you, I now spend a lot more time thinking about what I want to do, rather than just diving into putting some paint on the paper. Still haven't played with W-n-W and other techniques enough to feel confident about them, but I am learning. It didn't occur to me to tilt the board to move the paint around--I am a complete novice! I am also too impatient to wait for things to dry. That's hard!

But I think have learned (from trail and mainly lots of error) both to paint from light colors to dark, and also what you've said here about greens. Then again, trees/natural things are never green, they're always a combination of green and brown and blue and yellow....

I never take your criticism as anything other than suggestions. And I really appreciate them.

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Quote
balzaccom
and those curved trees are spherical aberration from the camera lens.

Not quite the right term: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_aberration

A few more quick suggestions...just because...might even help your game.

Don't know what paper you are using but I use 140 cold press...the rough side,,,(Also known as NOT).... I like using the Arches Ultra white, and usually paint on half-sheets.
You must let things completely dry before painting a darker color over it. If you are in a hurry, a hair dryer can speed up the drying process.
As the picture progresses - becomes wet (it is called Watercolor), the paper tends to buckle...Always tape (that frog-tape masking tape works well) down the edges before starting. Then, when you move the board around - easier too manage.
As a newer artist, if you are not pleased with your picture...just un-tape it and paint another one on the backside...saves money. Then possibly go back 6 months later and examine again as you have probably gotten better... see what can be added to fix it...
Never rinse/clean the brush with real hot water...ruins the ferrule.

Lastly, since you are the "artist"...
Always sign your work on the front of the painting!

Nice. I wondered about the hair dryer.

The first few things I tried were on "sketch" paper. With some holiday gift money, I bought some better paper. You can tell the difference. And yeah. I've already considered using the back sides.

Sign it? Since I run a marketing company, I need to think of a "mark" like Albrecht Durer...grin.

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Watercolor paper is not paper - Watercolor paper is mostly made from cotton rag. Today's most-used papers...an automated process injects cotton pulp onto a mesh cylinder, then the paper is pressed, dried by hot rollers, cut, and dried.
You'll often see watercolor papers labeled as - 90 pound, 140 pound, 300 pound. One Ream or 500 full Imperial sheets (a full sheet) - 22" x 30" of 140 paper weighs 140 pounds. As you have already learned...do not confuse cellulose fiber paper, especially your good sketch-book paper with cotton watercolor paper...good WC paper does not leak thru,.. (something about a water pen and a good sketchbook - sad story!) or fall apart when wet.

(Mod - if this art discussion thread is too boring or in wrong place...let me know.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2017 09:40AM by markskor.

Thought I'd add in a few more of my recent efforts;



Natural Bridge in Death Valley





Lone Snag near the Gargoyles, Stanislas National Forest






Ridge near Burst Rock. Emigrant Wilderness

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Tried the wash thing that you explained--and loved it, although the painting still looks really dark here. It's not....but I'll need natural light to get a better shot:

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2017 07:05PM by balzaccom.

Dramatic improvement...now the subtle differences there in the background mountains creates a lot of interest. Kudos to you...however..

Let's talk a bit of art theory again. Notice your great treeline...BTW, nice improvements individually there too, but...
All your trees are exactly the same distance apart...the treeline almost looks like a set of fence posts.........I I I I I I I.
Preciously, I mentioned that in nature, the more the little differences, the more natural looking the painting...yours, all the same color, height, spacing, etc, looks a bit like a manicured golf course.
Maybe vary this line some.

Also very important to leave some gaps in the trees too, not a solid line ...(rule - make a natural pathway for the eye to easily enter from below, then transition up and thru...a way you can easily enter the painting from the bottom foreground, and go into the painting above)...not a blocked barrier...increases interest.

The trick is to use all these %#@*# rules without sacrificing your creativity. Keep trying!
mark



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2017 01:56AM by markskor.

Thanks Marksor. I really enjoyed the wash technique. I even managed to wait for things to dry a couple of times...

As for the line of trees, that comment made me smile. I think I've told you that I paint all of these from photos I've taken in the mountains during our trips. I'm still struggling with the idea of changing what is actually in the photo to make a better painting. So far, I'm losing that battle. When the photo shows a line of trees, I paint the line of trees. Maybe I need to select (or take!) better photos.

But I don't want to paint like Bob Ross...!

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Quote
balzaccom
I'm still struggling with the idea of changing what is actually in the photo to make a better painting. So far, I'm losing that battle.

Sigh...get over it!
If you want your picture to look exactly like another picture...that's what cameras are for. As the artist, you can move things around...maybe slightly reposition a mountain or lose a few trees...think of the power you have in that brush.



Upper Humphrey Basin.
This last one illustrates a few more things for you to think about -
The W-n-W on foreground rocks.
Red, richer, and darker colors push things forward...blue and lighter recedes.
Notice - the path left open for the eye to enter and then go up, into the picture.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2017 11:09AM by markskor.

As slow here...(15' walls of snow lining the streets here in Mammoth)...
Two stages...notice:
- Paper edges taped down...(yes slightly wrinkled but that's what happens when on the back of another painting).
- Pencil lines, which will be erased later,
- Under-painted mountain areas.
- Finished painting...also note how the colors of the matte board compliment the painting colors.

Thanks for sharing all of the paintings. I think you have a great style, and I'm reminded of works by Katsushika Hokusai, Chiura Obata, and Eyvind Earle.
I wondered who your influences are.

On the road for work. I'll post a few more when I get home next week...

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OK--two more for fun. the first is Gem lake in the Emigrant Wilderness.



The second one is an old Juniper at sunset above that same Gem Lake

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in progress

another, in progress

finished

A couple more from me.

Juniper above Grouse Lake in Emigrant Wilderness:






And Mt. St. Helena in the Napa Valley.



And M below Chilnualna Falls in winter.

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Two more....now that I am back from my travels and able to get back to painting.

This is a juniper by Granite Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness:



And this is sunset on the Dardanelles in the Carson-Iceberg Wiilderness. I found the frame at a thrift shop for $3...and it fit.

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I really enjoy seeing the artwork, please keep posting!

Three more from the drawing board, all from Yosemite (keeping in mind the theme of these boards!) :

Tuolumne Meadows in January of 2012--quite a contrast to this year:



And a small tarn near Seavey Pass on the way to Benson Lake:



And the Natural Arch above North Dome:

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Nice work!
Somewhere Tenaya Canyon -

Very nice! And this one is nearer to Tahoe: Bassi Falls in early summer:

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Time for another watercolor lesson...another level of fun.
Here are a two examples that demonstrate a few subtle nuances in the Watercolor process. Variation builds interest.
Top picture:
1) - Notice the trees - first done wet - n - wet... (yellows and greens). Then allow to dry completely... and then you can paint - wet in dry - darker value trees over the top...creates depth.
2) - Also notice how a few "flecks" of white in the trees and rocks - are left unpainted...sparkles of white. Tops of ridges are also selectively left white.
3) And finally something new for you to try out. Robert Dvorak (art teacher previously mentioned above), taught me that large expanses of colors always must vary slightly every 2 inches...not good enough to have a large cliff-side - all brown, no variation, even though not similar values...(see your last Bassi Falls on right side.)
In mine - see the rocks - After the first layer has dried...paint strong reds/ crimsons (or whatever color) over selected rock areas...wait 30 - 45 seconds to let almost dry... then take a water spritzer and squirt a little water over the newly painted red areas... and then place a clean square of toilet paper and blot...just place once - no dabbing back in - over selected (newly painted, still wet) red areas carefully, and blot up most of new red...let dry and see what happens. Notice the slight crimsons in my rocks?
4) Never introduce a new color in just one place...put/add it at least to 2 other places too (see dad, mom, baby rule above). Notice subtle crimson in 3 areas of my rocks?

Next time, we talk about water.
Mark

Thanks for the tips.

I think I have been learning some of these things as I go along...but some of those techniques are eye-openers!

What I'd love to know is how you photography your pictures. I think my photos don't capture all the stuff that's going on in my paintings. Of course, I am just using my phone...

Seems like some of your more recent work is a bit less stylized than some of the stuff you were showing me back when. I like the new stuff a lot.

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Re: How I photograph my paintings...usually signed, finished - framed.
Didn't want to go into this yet. Much like backpacking - always more gear to buy when you start getting serious - but since you asked...
First thing is a good presentation - matting and framing.
You can go to any thrift shop and pick out good old frames... I like/look for those about 2' / 3', well-made, like thick wood, with glass panes (plastic sucks), and at least one (two better?) nice mat/mats already in place....(tell them you are an artist...barter/beg...$10 - $15). Probably though, your art is not going to fit in the old matted hole exactly. You could selectively crop your painting...(not use the ugly left side?), or you can introduce another mat color, thin...just inside the larger mats. This is where being able to cut your own mats is crucial (...bought a LOGAN 301...pics.) This new, small, inner mat color makes things fit. BTW, this new inside color - choose wisely...should complement one color found in your painting...red rocks = red small accent mat?
Matboard comes in colored sheets 30" / 40"... ~$8/sheet, at good art shops...(pic) Mats are heavy cardboard-like materials that are used to give a photograph, drawing, or other artwork a finished look during the picture framing process... learning how to cut matboard is simply a skill that takes practice. Don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts produce less than satisfactory results. Be patient and practice on scraps of mat-board until you have perfected your corner technique.
After all is cut, wash the inside glass, place in the two mats and tape in your picture...cardboard backboard last, and finally drive brads in (last pic) to hold all secure.
I photograph first using a cheap Canon ELPH 115, download pics, and edit/ crop on Canon download drivers.
Then open pic to PAINT - resize (pixels - 1000 max dimension so it fits there) - "Save As" in my art desktop folder..
Transfer to Photobucket...and it all goes round and round, and it comes out here.

Wow. There's a whole 'nother topic to tackle!

I have been buying a few frames at thrift shops--got that one figured out. But the rest is a bit beyond what I am ready to manage right now...sigh.

I really appreciate your comments. I've never finished a painting and been perfectly happy with it--but often what you bring up is outside of what has been concerning me. That's helpful perspective.

Here's one more tiny one:

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Nevada Falls

Looking north from Ahwahnee Meadow