Friday, November 9, 2012


Ordered some new paints - the ones Christopher Leeper uses that I didn't have in my palette:
Manganese Blue Hue, Permanent Alizarin Crimson and Permanent Brown - all by Daniel Smith.

Also ordered some of the brushes he recommended:
Silver Black Velvet brushes, all rounds and one script liner (like a rigger but a bit more brush in the ferrule).  They are soft and smooshy and hold lots of water - I think I'm going to like them.

Waiting for my Arches 300# rough paper to arrive and then I should be able to paint just like Chris - right?  ha ha ha  Yeah, right! ha ha  But I won't have an excuse not to practice and try to incorporate his color sense and style in my landscapes.


Until then, I did start a little painting.  Unfortunately, I am using the Multimedia Art Board I got from Cheap Joe's a while back.  I think this would work as a surface for the acrylic inks or fluid acrylics but not watercolor, which seems to sit there and dull almost immediately.  Or maybe I just don't know the trick to working on this surface with watercolor? 

Anyway, here is the 1st and 2nd stage and it's UGLY :(



It seems like the color won't lift at all - it has set into the surface (which is actually slick - but not like YUPO slick).  At this point, the only way to save it is to go over it with gouache or acrylics.  UGH!

Maybe I'll try some little studies until the 300# rough sheets arrive...


Hope you have a good weekend.  We are having frosty, chilly mornings and then up to 65F during the day = SWEET

7 comments:

Unknown said...

The painting looks great! Ah, nothing like new art supplies, is there. It's better than getting new shoes! Do you shop at Plaza much, by the way? How do their prices compare with online?

Unknown said...

Whoa Rhonda. I don't know how I could paint if the color just sat there. I can see how that would be frustrating. I don't think I would ever try it again with that.

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

Oh you're going to love those brushes Rhonda, I tried one thanks to Mollie Jones and fair enough they are the best blend brushes I've tried.

I hope you keep playing with that surface, how can the watercolor not lift at all? You've made me so curious about it now

Autumn Leaves said...

I like what you've done, here Rhonda, especially the first photo of your piece. Looks like something happened between first and second photo and it did lose its luster somehow. But still and yet, I like it. I love learning from your experiences too. Can't wait to see what you share about the 300 lb. paper. I've been curious about it for awhile.

RH Carpenter said...

Katherine, you are too kind! This substract (it's a hard piece of the board) just didn't take the watercolor the way I thought it would and finally got really stained and dirty looking. I could go in with acrylics on this type of board but wouldn't try watercolor on it again. I never use Plaza but always order my supplies from Daniel Smith, Cheap Joes or Dick Blick, comparing prices of the 3 before ordering.

Kevin, yeah, that became a mess!! This is for acrylic, not watercolor! ha ha Sometimes you get a winner when you experiment and sometimes you don't.

Teresa, I already feel the difference in the brushes - they are soft the flowing. Either I did something terribly wrong with the mediaboard and watercolors or the board just didn't work right but it's a mess! The only way I can lift once the paint is dried is by using a Mr. Clean eraser and I'm not using staining colors.

Sherry, I did like the first version and was just going to darken areas but got carried away and made a mess. Sometimes that happens! I'll let you know about the 300# rough paper. I have 140# rough Arches in blocks but Chris said he prefers the 300# so I bought a few sheets.

Jeanette Jobson said...

New paint, new brushes, the world is your oyster!

There is nothing like trying out new things, whether styles or supplies before you find your own voice.

Remember, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince. I have a shelf full of rejects. Often when you come back to them in the future, you see just how to turn them around.

RH Carpenter said...

Yes, it always feels that way, Jeanette! I've had this all media artboard lying around for a long time and don't remember why I bought it - but I know it isn't for watercolor :)