Before I go, I want to share this impulse purchase that has turned into one of my favorite finds. I was at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and saw these brush cleaning tank and I decided to use a 40% off coupon and get one. I tell you--having this metal coil in the bottom of the jar really helps my brushes get cleaner a lot faster and with minimal effort. I paid $6 for it which I didn't think was too bad though after looking for one online to link here I see that is pretty much the going rate without a coupon ;-). There was another less expensive one with a different kind of metal bottom but something about the coil just stood out to me--I felt that it would be easier on the brushes in the long run but that was just my novice impression. I sure do love it though!
Going into week two of my online Watercolor for Cardmakers class and I must say that I wish I could abandon all other responsibilities and just take the time to focus on the daily lessons and practice new techniques. Truthfully, a lot of the lessons so far have focused on using stamps with watercolors and I'm much more interested in learning more about watercoloring in general. I am enjoying watching all of the instructional videos because even if the artists are using stamps, I can learn a little bit about their technique as I watch them paint. This card here was made for fun because I adored this card by Laura Bassen. This stamp set is a new favorite by Mama Elephant--they're releasing another sentiment with this script and I can't wait to get it! Now, take a look at this gorgeous card I got from my friend Jen for my birthday--her MOM made it! Judy Hearon is a watercolor artist and made some of these beautiful cards for her daughter and I am so lucky to have gotten one! I was blown away by it when I opened it! Having just gotten into watercoloring myself, I would love to learn more about brushes to use for different looks and really just how to achieve natural lines. I feel like my watercoloring looks very 'forced' and unnatural which is the opposite of what I want! Judy's card is just stunning and I hope my friend Jen gets some painting lessons from her mom so she can share some techniques with me :-) To give you an idea of what I mean by my paintings looking 'forced', here is an example of a rose I painted today with the help of a stamp. I used an outline rose stamp which I stamped lightly using Tim Holtz Distress ink in Picked Raspberry. I didn't have any 'filler' stamp images to help with the painting so I just started by pulling color from the lines of the stamped image with a wet brush and then added some orange and a little more pink to help add some variation. I went back it with some white because I felt like the petals were kinda blending into one another and I needed some 'light'. I would love to learn more about shading and light because I love seeing how artists like Judy get their pieces to look so natural. I tried mimicking her leaves and failed miserably LOL! Again, I'm sure knowing more about brushes would help. I kinda overworked the leaves...there was a stage where they didn't look too bad and I should have left them alone, but I kept going. Sometimes, ya just need to know when to stop! I added some splatters of paint in both pink and green and then added my sentiment once the watercoloring dried. I just LOVE the lettering in this Winnie and Walter stamp set. Before I go, I want to share this impulse purchase that has turned into one of my favorite finds. I was at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and saw these brush cleaning tank and I decided to use a 40% off coupon and get one. I tell you--having this metal coil in the bottom of the jar really helps my brushes get cleaner a lot faster and with minimal effort. I paid $6 for it which I didn't think was too bad though after looking for one online to link here I see that is pretty much the going rate without a coupon ;-). There was another less expensive one with a different kind of metal bottom but something about the coil just stood out to me--I felt that it would be easier on the brushes in the long run but that was just my novice impression. I sure do love it though! Whew! That was quite the post--congratulations if you made it this far. Thanks for stopping by!
5 Comments
Kathryn A
5/13/2014 02:58:15 pm
I know what you mean about your rose feeling "forced", as I used the same stamp and feel the same about mine! Dawn's magnolia looks soft and natural, much like Judy Hearon's artwork, above, and I would like to be angle to produce art more like that. But having said that, I still like your rose!!
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Kathryn A
5/13/2014 03:00:06 pm
*able*, not angle! (Darn auto correct) Forgot to say how much I also liked your first card, too! Love the colour wash!
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AuthorKaren Kelly Archives
February 2016
CategoriesFavorite DesignersKristina Werner
Julie Ebersole Jennifer McGuire Cristina Kowalczyk Laura Bassen Emily Leiphart Shari Carroll Kelly Purkey Dawn McVey Debby Hughes Favorite Places to Spend $$$Published Work |