Watercolor Musings: Reflections for Dessert

Watercolor Musings: Reflections for Dessert: Reflections on two types of glass - transparent and opaque Dessert! What an assignment! The two glass objects gave me a good opport...

Reflections for Dessert

Reflections on two types of glass - transparent and opaque

Dessert!

What an assignment! The two glass objects gave me a good opportunity to paint shiny surfaces in both clear and opaque glass. We had gotten several small desserts at the Farmer's Market for a tasting treat. While my husband and daughter went off to fetch dinner, those desserts became subject matter.

When looking for shapes in reflective surfaces, plan on painting around the lights in an opaque object and paint the shadowy shapes on the clear one. Squinting your eyes helps the lights pop and they are easier to see. I drew with a small water soluble pen first, added watercolor to the to the cake within the dome. The shapes and reflections were painted after that.

Choosing appealing subject matter is easy if you open up your eyes to your everyday life. Sometimes the most common of subjects make the most emotionally powerful work...we are connected to those things.

So...consider this your assignment...go get some yummy desserts and paint them...and then test them!

Watercolor Musings: Workshop Etiquette

Watercolor Musings: Workshop Etiquette: The following is a list I am now sending to those attending a workshop in our studio. If it is helpful, feel free to take from it and pl...

Workshop Etiquette

 The following is a list I am now sending to those attending a workshop in our studio. If it is helpful, feel free to take from it and please post any changes/additions you think would be useful. Our goal is to have each participant have a good learning experience and a great time.
 

Schroeder Studio Gallery Workshop Etiquette

We are so pleased that you have joined us for this workshop. We want you to have a wonderful time and that the learning will be helpful in your growth as an artist. The suggestions below are intended to make the workshop a positive and pleasurable experience for all. They are gleaned from many workshops since 1998.  

• Please turn the sound OFF or set to “vibrate” on cell phones when class and teaching begin. Ringing interrupts the instructor’s train of thought and is annoying to your fellow painters. If you need to take a call, please step outside to do so.

• Be on time. If tardiness is unavoidable, please quietly try to catch up – the instructor is not expected to start the lesson over.

• When packing materials for the class, do include the necessary but please leave your “studio” at home. We have limited space for each student.

• Please arrive at class fragrance free for the comfort of participants and instructors who may have allergies.

• Please don’t be demanding of the teacher’s time. There is a room full of people who paid for the workshop, too.

• It is a courtesy to ask permission from the teacher before taking pictures of samples and demonstrations. This goes for photographing other students and their work as well.

• All handouts and instructions are copyrighted and owned by the instructor. Individual teachers have varying policies as to how their designs, handouts and instructions may be used after a workshop. Please check with your teacher before sharing the workshop materials in any form with others.

• Be courteous to your tablemate. Conversation might be enjoyable to you but others may require total concentration and listening to constant chatter is disruptive.

• Be honest of your level of experience. Don’t expect the teacher to know.

• Please, under no circumstance, touch or take any of the demonstration pieces or artwork unless you have permission from the teacher.

• Please don’t eat or drink in the gallery. Also do not eat food or drink over anyone’s artwork.

• Then, first and foremost, ENJOY & HAVE FUN!

Watercolor Musings: Travel Materials for Painting - Brushes

Watercolor Musings: Travel Materials for Painting - Brushes: It's been too long since I started this set of blogs on travel materials. Time to finish it up! This post is just a small bit of information...

Travel Materials for Painting - Brushes

It's been too long since I started this set of blogs on travel materials. Time to finish it up! This post is just a small bit of information about the myriad of brushes available for travel, or paintabout, as I like to call it.

These are brushes made for travel- each has a cap that protects the bristles. The second brush from the right comes out by putting the cap on the end of the brush handle. That insures that the bristle is always protected. The other brushes require some care as you put them away. I usually wet the bristles, pull them together and then insert into the cap. If you do get some bristles going awry, you can straighten them right out by running under hot water. Not for long though but it does work quickly.

This set of brushes is protected by the masonite board behind them. A small piece of the material used to keep rugs from slipping does the same thing for the brushes. The wide rubberband keeps all the brushes secure. I can't claim credit for this idea. Brenda Swenson is the brains behind it and it is very effective.

These are sort of speciality brushes I use while traveling. The blue is a Niji waterbrush. You don't even need a container of water to paint. You just rinse the brush by squeezing fresh water out. The middle brush is a new one, a waterbrush that can be collapsed into 2 pieces. This one fits in my very small palette. To the right is one of the brush pens I prefer with water soluble ink. This one is a Pentel color brush and I also like the Kaimei and Kuretake. I prefer inks in sepia and black but many come in a range of colors. By the way, the waterbrushes can also be filled with ink or watercolor if you like.

Here's to many happy hours painting while traveling!

Watercolor Musings: Travel Materials for Painting - Palettes

Watercolor Musings: Travel Materials for Painting - Palettes: Finding the right palette for your travel painting is an enjoyable quest. I'm not sure I'll ever settle on just one since I confess to...