not too much free time lately.

Recently, one of my favorite things to do with my free time,  while out of the house,  is to go study at the local library.
Study wise it changes every time I go,  but the library?  It stays the same.

The smell (have to start with that) of book pages,  new and old, wood and printer ink.  The sound of the book cart making it's runs to the many shelves and it's constant squeaky wheel. Books you can buy go a quarter, endless supplies of knowledge at your fingers, and even more if you're willing to search all the other branches of building stocked  with books your town.
 The older gentleman sighing after every second turning off his book, the line of computers with people sitting in front of (almost always playing some internet game -which did annoy me in the past,  but now,  I see it as "more-time- with- books- and- no- bumping- into- people- in- aisles-for- me!!!!  ;), clicking away...
The availability of taking a book down, scanning through it and jotting down little jewels of wisdom and wittiness that you want to remember forever -  and sighing (with an uncanny harmony to the man behind you) when your arms are trembling with the weight of all those words,  and you begin a list of all the books you'll be checking out next time.
Flyers for clubs and guilds you can join, large, stuffed animals in the children's section (admit it, you've cuddled up with them too when no one's around), big- open windows and covers of books that you stand in front of in awe.

The little jem I found today is related to all watercolorists around. I read it and immediately felt at ease.  Here it is for anyone else out there that has felt the same way as myself,  thinking that what I do and want to do in my watercolors,  isn't allowed and every time frowned upon. Here it is:

"For some reason,  watercolour has attracted a more comprehensive -and often inexplicable-  list of dos and don'ts then any other medium.  People feel that there is a "correct" way of working and that any departure from this constitutes a kind of unfaithfulness to the medium.  For example, we are told that we must never use opaque white because it will spoil the lovely translucence of the colours; while good painting aids such as masking fluid are described as "mechanical" and therefore in some way immoral.  Eyebrows are raised if you try anything new -it is simply not done. Interesting, all the theories of correct procedure have only sprung up in this century, while the more rigid rules surrounding oil painting were the product of 18th- and 19th-century academic tradition and have since been largely abandoned.  The best 19th-century watercolours, particularly those by (J.M. W.) Turner, reveal am enormous variety in the methods used, as well as many practices which might be frowned upon today.  Turner used opaque paint, he moved the paint around on the picture surface and allowed colours  to run;  he smudged paint with his fingers and even scratched into it in places. In short, he used the medium as the servant of his ideas rather than the other way around." 

-Hazel Harrison ("Watercolor, Oil & Acrylic")


That said, I am still very much afraid to pick up opaque paints, but I feel very energized by reading this for who- knows- how- many- times,  and this new chapter has begun. The chapter where I am no longer afraid of my own brush, the Purest of watercolorists and am now ready to go out once again and paint and paint and paint.

Lovely words from books make my day.

Au revoir!

Pencil Grades

“Drawing is the true test of art.” Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867)

Drawing pencils come in a range of grades, from H for hard to B for soft. The hardness of the lead is determined by the relative proportions of graphite and clay used: the more graphite, the softer the pencil.
Typically, hard pencils range from 9h (the hardest) to H, and soft pencils range from 9B (the softest) to B. Grades HB and F are midway between the two. A very soft lead will produce rich, black marks, and it is an excellent choice for rapid sketches and expressive line-and-tone drawings, especially on textured paper. Hard leads make gray, rather than black marks. They are suitable for precise lines and details because they can be sharpened to a fine point. Although a single pencil of grade HB or 2B gives you considerable scope for expression, many artist use several grades of pencil in one piece of work, creating rich interplay of line and tone.

“Equally capable of producing a quick sketch or a finely worked drawing, the pencil is the most immediate, versatile, and sensitive of the drawing media. It can be used, on one hand, for great subtlety and delicacy, and, on the other, for sticking boldness and vigor; you can produce a soft, velvety quality or a crisp sharpness. One of the pencil’s most attractive characteristics is the ease with which line and tone can be combined in one drawing.”

(Notes and quotes from Simon Jennings book –The New Artist’s Manual ((2005)) Chapter two” Drawing Media” Copyrighted to Simon Jennings & HarperCollins Pub.)


So saying, I could never say I have a favorite grade of pencil – even though I enjoy much the 2B for it’s flexibility and shades – but without all the other grades I couldn’t get the desired look I want for each sketch. And lots of times it’s not the drawing that makes “it”, but rather the mediums you use to acquire that desired look in the first place. The paper and utensils are very commonly forgotten as being the most important thing in all of art. The emotional (feeling) of the subject next.

I very much recommend the book mentioned above - superb and amazing facts. I love everything that I am learning.

Be Outrageous!

More Inspiration...and some Art Talk

Did you ask for it? No, but I feel the need to share.

First off, I should probably tell you what I need inspro for. I want to be a illustrator. I lean mostly towards children literature but love every form of illustrtrating at it's core. My love is watercolors, I try to paint every day. But when unable to do that (it does take some time), I try to throw out some sketches. I live inspiration - my dream would be to become a professional illustrator - but I know for a fact I am more in the category of "aspiring illustrator", more so then anything else. But hey - I can hope and dream right?

I like to watch this video with Ira Glass (it's on storytelling but I think it can apply to any form of craft).  Makes me believe that someday I can stop falling short of my ambition to make something beautiful.

The next best inspiration to start creative juices flowing is to look at other masterpieces. I never grow tried of it. Here are some of my favorites (Note - all of these mentioned are done with the medium of Watercolors):

Harold Allanson... is so amazing. Half of my family didn't believe that this was a watercolor. The detail and reality of this painting is stunningly amazing.   {Cape Pine}

John Salminen. The way he captures reality but gives it that flare that is always there gives me goosebumps.

 {Washington Square} (John Salminen) I could stare at this for hours.

Dean Mitchell's {Driftwood} *sighs*

David Cuin  {Echoes of Grandeur} The ingenious of this lighting throws me.

Sara Burrier is another watercolorists hero to me. I adore her style and am a proud owner of three of her prints.

And of course, I could never leave Susan Montague of of any of my inspiration post. Her amazing talent of capturing (seeming to be) passer-bys with watercolor is gorgeous and unforgettable.

♥
Blessings on those who read this and their week.