Birds

24x32  Watercolor on Montval paper

I like painting birds.

EDM #25

23x15cm, Watercolor pencils

EDM #25 Draw a glass (the kind you drink from). Voila!
One more thing among great advantages of EDM challenges is the development of the habit for life drawing. Suddenly you just start realizing how 3D the real glass is felt in comparison to glass from the 2D photo.   

The summer happened suddenly after 10 days of the spring. The proofs for your attention are below.
Green is my favorite color, together with gold of the sun and blue of the sky it makes the best combination possible.

Sushi cafe

This one was sketched while waiting for sushi lunch, I liked the geometry of the set very much.
I made a photo at home, under usual lamp, which added extra warmth to the colors.

My friend Sidmar (link here) reminded me about the demo of Jean Haines (link to blog) painting roses and about her method of painting colors without preliminary sketching. So interesting and intriguing route to freedom. I need to learn more about it.   

Last day of the world again

While sketching this view from the cafe window, I ate Panacotta and drank huge glass of blueberries shake. But who would care about extra kilo, if they announced the end of the world would start several hours later?? (It was sketched on 21st May).

Dior in Moscow

Few days ago I went to exhibition "Dior in Moscow". This sketch is from the exhibition place.
First impression: form is trying to fool me and do its best to become content. But in Dior's interpretation it looks so stylish and beautiful.
Second impression: these dresses are true works of art, talented and full of master's energy.
Third and last impression, which arrived much later: it was like drinking champaign on the corn field (I mean my life and clothes in the city and 2 hours at Dior's exhibition). 

 And here is another little battle over watercolor. It still holds the fort. But I am very insistent.

And the photo of true perfectness. It makes me want to bow low to Nature's creativity)))

Flowers

24x32cm, Watercolor on Montval paper

Long daylight time. What can be better for the painter? Natural colors, natural light, eyes are singing and enjoying every moment of recognizing true colors.
Today I returned home at 18-40 and had wonderful 90 minutes to sketch the vase on the table in window light. Felt so good!

Sketch of Church

Here I experiment with the sequence of layers. As I wrote 2 days ago here (link), my plan for next time was to put color masses first, then add ink to the dried paper and avoid pencil's help at all.
So for the first experiment it looks like it turned out very interesting, as the church's belfry has the spiritual radiance around it. Completely unexpected)).
And I used the frame, it makes the outdoor sketching so much easier! The article about this method is here, my version is here and was cut from a piece of thick cardboard.
Happy sketching! 

Oil and Me

Next work in oil. Based on still life in my drawing class. 40x50cm canvas board. I like it, specially pearl tones and texture of  wrinkled fabric.
Maybe it is time to start the shop which will make me rich and famous? 
No, Blogger makes me famous, and shop will make me rich!

Grapes

I want to take this opportunity and thank Blogger for the excellent free service it provides during my 2,5 years in virtual world. Today I really missed my everyday internet activity. On the other hand Blogger helped again - I went outdoors in my spare time).  Blogger is great in any way!

This is EDM#24, draw a piece of fruit. Grapes were problem since my drawing class work (link here), when I painted them "artichoke" way and completely ruined the painting. It was 1 year ago. And I see progress here. But I see the "into the watercolor" road ahead, long and interesting, too.

Little tip how to make your watercolor shine: Photoshop. Image - Auto Constrast. Then: Filter-Sharpen-Smart Sharpen (Amount 55%, Radius 3,4 - my defaults). And Voila! Turner and Monet can not believe that such juicy colors are possible.
Wish you nice week-end!

Orchid

30x45cm (12"x18"), watercolor on Arches

 Orchid in bloom. I can not walk around it without looking admiringly at the perfect shape and color of the flower. So I paint it again.

Sketchbook, PITT pen and watercolor

EDM # 23 "Draw your foot". I do. Not the orchid for sure, too far from perfect. But the carpet is good. 100% wool.

Oils!

30x40cm, oil on board

My first oil painting, done in drawing class. Strange feeling. But I am very conservative, so no surprise here.
Heavy,
difficult to mix (comparing to my "water based" love),
pure white is no problem at all plus white is widely mixable everywhere, same with black;
I can not feel the tonal values,
too straightforward and easily controlled,
smell,
paint on new jeans - problem to remove,
wooden palette,
texture.

Now you know that I like drama)))

Watercolors drive me crazy and that is what I like about them. Unpredictable and difficult, even when you  presumptionsly assume that they are yielding. Looks it will be easier with oils.


Actually, now I have another strongest weapon to express my creativity. Pastels, pencils, ink, graphite, oils. And watercolor.

Today I was busy with office work. This music helped me to survive 3d Max activity on Sunny Spring Sunday.
Enjoy! Nigel Kennedy plays Doors. Several times I interrupted work and started wild dance. Hope you will, too.

New green everywhere

How to memorize every new spring day, fresh yellow-green of the trees, birds singing over the noises of the city? Draw and paint, make photos, enjoy every moment of today.

Up here I put pencil marks, then watercolor and finished with ink (contrary to my usual order when ink goes first and then I add color). Next time I want to exclude pencil, to concentrate on color spots. It was quick plein air, when I was in nature adoration mood (not my usual type of behavior).

Down here my other sketches from the recent trip to the country.

I also want to share with you my latest finds (maybe old news for you), art blogs, which inspire so intensively to paint and to create.

Kleurrijk watercolors. Watercolor artist from the Netherlands. She manages to combine juicy bold colors with transparency and air of the medium and I like it so much.
Dreama Tolle Perry.This blog is the color feast, so full of joy and sun and movement.
Ladies, you are so talented.

The spring is here

The rain brought so needed moisture to the nature and the green became the main color around us in one day. At last!

Besides I was able to allow myself two days in the country, sketching and listening to the birds. At last!

The first buds on apple tree on the left, the first blue flowers on the right (no idea about their name), spiced with spattering all over the sketchbook page, hands, fingers, T-shirt.
Viva la primavera.

I want to share with you the video, Terje Sorgjerd filming Milky Way galaxy for 7 days non stop from the El Teide mountain, so beautiful.
His link at Vimeo.
"The Daily Mail" article about Terje.
Beautiful world.

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Train

30cm x 40cm, oil pastel on craft paper

Inspired by the photo of some South American town where the tram track was put at very narrow street. So the inhabitants of the houses could sell fruits and vegetables directly to the passengers of slowly moving tram. And the products were places on the ground near the track. Amazing world.
It was fun to draw in oil pastels, crazy colors. Oh, the train is smiling...