Fox in a Rabbit Garden (watercolor)

Experimenting with negative painting! Several months ago I joined the Facebook "Negative Painting Addicted" group and have just admired how some people seem to effortlessly apply negative painting principles. Never heard of it before, so after diligently following the site and being too busy to try, and then now finally trying, wow and yes, addicting even more that I've tried it!

Here's my fun first attempt of negative painting:

Negative painting: "Fox in the Rabbit Garden" 2019

Pigment Testing 52 Daniel Smith Paints

Daniel Smith makes some delicious colors, and I irresistibly have bought more than I need. I'm finding that a few of them are rather similar ... and yet different ... so thought I would test them out to see which pigments had the best texture, which could be textured through salt or other devices (and which ones didn't respond much to texturing attempts), which traveled the fastest in water and which ones tended to stay put, and of course which ones Daniel Smith announced as highly transparent and then whether I agreed or not based on outcome. 

I'm not writing down all the outcomes I noted. Wow, would that take time since there are indeed 52 here! But the charts below can be tapped on and enlarged and the various outcomes do become quite apparent. One regret I have in making this chart is, I was particularly interested in texturing with cotton netting gauze; however, I pigmented that area too much so the gauze hashtag effect is rather obscured. Ah well. I'll know better when it comes time for practical application!

The Legend ... for comprehending the transparency and texturing tests for this chart:

52 Daniel Smith colors pigment tested for transparency and texturing

DS pigment test outcomes remarkably lovely here!

The DS reds and pinks were weaker on texturing effects than the blues, greens and earth tones.

Animal Pen and Inks from the late 1980s

Moms are so special, and my mom blew me away when she happily unearthed some old pen and inks from ages ago. I'd forgotten all about them, especially as after I drew them and began my professional career, all thoughts of art floated off in the breeze. [The breeze started to blow them back again about three years ago, and that's this blog story.]

Anyway, maybe the old pictures are worth posting. Disclaimer though, the elk and white-tailed deer pictures are from a National Geography book I found in my university library and was constantly borrowing. The only trouble is, I have no recall whatsoever of the title or even the year it was published, but certainly before the mid-1980s. If anyone knows, please please please share, because I so want to find and buy that book!

Pen and ink on A4 - 1988

Pen and ink on A4 - 1989

Pen and ink on A4 - 1990

Ball point pen on A4 copy paper ... what a shame not to have Bristol paper back then :( 

Playful Otters

Day 18 of the Asian-style painting challenge for November, the challenge annually hosted by OASlife (Oriental Art Supply) on Facebook. Something's lacking in this quick otter study ... I think it's value. Anyway, Chinese ink with Marie's Chinese watercolors on soft shikishi board, the painting medium that bleeds like crazy. I'm learning what to expect with this stuff, just need more practice. Thus, participating in this month-long painting challenge. It's fun too to practice every day ... although I'm falling behind on the schedule a bit.

Day 18 of the Asian painting challenge: Playful Otters on soft shikishi
Reference pict on Pinterest

Penguin Pals

Day 17 of the Asian-style painting challenge for November, the challenge annually hosted by OASlife (Oriental Art Supply) on Facebook. A quick splash of Chinese ink and touch of watercolor ... too tired after an intense all-day hike to do more ... but at least I contributed to the daily challenge. Time to make some ZZZZzzzzz!

Day 17: Penguin Pals, a quick 5-minute study for the daily challenge. ZZZzzzz time!

 

Hummer in the Honeysuckle

Day 16 of the Asian-style painting challenge for November, the challenge annually hosted by OASlife (Oriental Art Supply) on Facebook. Marie's Chinese watercolors and Chinese ink on shikishi board. 

Day 16: Hummer in the Honeysuckle
(photo reference)

Koi in the Pads

Day 14 of the Asian-style painting challenge for November, the challenge annually hosted by OASlife (Oriental Art Supply) on Facebook. Marie's Chinese watercolors and Chinese ink on shikishi board.

Day 14: Koi among and pads