More about acrylic inks

 In my last post I shared the background for the chickadee. Here is the completed piece. I used the acrylic inks to paint the bird as well. While they covered beautifully, I was surprised, somehow, at how thick they seemed to me. The bird, while cute, isn't as delicate as I would have liked. I painted this piece on art board.

This is a finch and my attempt here was to use the background as part of the bird and I did succeed. I did make the bird too long so it looks off, to me. I jused the acrylic ink for the background and the bird. In this piece I worked on watercolor paper so that I was able to get the texture of the paper to work for me. The branch that the bird rests on is sort of there and not there because of the mottle of the ink that I magically achieved. I used the spray bottle and tilting and a bit of paper towel do do some blotting. 

So, where do I stand on acrylic ink after four pieces, well really five since I tossed the first piece I did of the finch? I like it for the abstract background but not for painting. I did some nice glazing on the bird and built up the color but didn.t get quite what I was striving for; a sort of delicacy. But I am also pleased that the motor control and strength in my right hand are returned.  So, that said, on to my next medium.

I am now working with Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils. I originally worked with them about 7 years ago and I'm just learning to use them again. This is the piece I just completed. It's the finch. The medium works well. I just need more practice. This painting isn't as good as the one above but, there was greater ease of application. The only hindrance was me. I used a 12 block set and I didn't do as good a job at blending as I could have. But this will change. My next painting will not be a finch.  Stay tuned for more on Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils. I will also be incorporporating the acrylic inks for background art. So, maybe, the best medium is ink but not just one kind. We'll see.

Acrylic is a water based medium too!

 A few days ago I created a new composition and got out my watercolor paints and brushes and started to work and it was a disaster. I had no control. I just couldn't guide the paints in the direction I wanted to go. I ripped up the canvas and just thought it over. I needed to have control. Better control of my medium. I pulled out my acrylic inks and paints and brushes and markers and some 5 x 5 art boards and started a new project. Well, two and I'm on my third. 

I used the acrylic ink on the background and then drew in and painted the birds. I used the droppers from the ink bottles; in this one blue and white; and sprayed it with a mister and tilted the tile and let it dry. Actually the only reall control I had was what colors to add. I can never duplicate this background. I like it. 

In this painting of the Winged Warbler I used sepia, green, yellow and white in the same manner as I did with the painting of the Robin above and once again I had no control save the color selection. I like it.

I've done this before and I've always enjoyed the serendipitus outcome of letting the colors arrange themselves. Somehow, this is something that I could never do with watercolor. Watercolor requires as much control as it does looseness but with acrylic inks it's letting go.

I do like letting go. 

Then I drew in the birds and painted them with acrylic paints. The video for the Winged Warbler is available for viewing. Just click on the image to watch. There is no narration. I just didn't feel like talking about what I was doing and for the most part, what I was doing was pretty self-evident. Or maybe not. 

So now I am working with acrylics again and experimenting with ways to incorporate watercolor techniques. But I think I'll have to work on watercolor paper for that since canvas and art board really don't absorb water.

Here is a photo of stage 1 of my third painting. I used orange, sepia and white. The image is still wet and settling and takes about 2 hours to dry. But it will be similar to this image. Then I'll draw a chickadee on it and start painting. This time I'm going to try to incorparate the background into the image. I'll let you know when it's done.

 

All watercolor paints are not the same.

 Today I am reporting on my research about watercolor paints. So far I know that a few companies like Winsor and Newton and Schminke produce watercolors set that have opaque, transparent, granular and staining and they can all be opaque or transparent or semitransparent or semiopaque. Wow!

Kuratake Gansai Tambi watercolor paints which I own and have used with much joy are opaques. No transparency if you don't count that the more water you use the lighter the hue; no granulation. They are intended to be opaque and vivid and they are.

Sennelier, my preferred watercolor, has opaque, semiopaque, transparent and semitransparent paints. No granular paints; no stains. Now I realize that my watercolors tend to be tighter in technique because I generally use a limited palette like that Zorn palette which is opaque in nature. I didn't know. Now I do but I'm not sure that will change anything. Well, I'll try to use the primary colors and employ some transparent and semitransparent hues. 

I stopped reading after all of this and realized that if you wish to focus on a particular type of watercolor you need to so some research before you buy anything. I'm happy with the few Winsor and Newton tubes that I use and my Sennelier Fine Watercolor and student grade and my travel set. I do love my travel set. I don't do Pleinair painting. Just don't like it. But, with my limited work space, the fewer the tubes or smaller the travel set the better. 

I just received, two days ago, the Meed 42 color Traveller's Watercolor set and I'm looking forward to using it. I've wanted it for some time and the price was right. For $16.95 I got the paints and four water brushed. Nifty. I'm not certain I'll use the water brushes. I have several and I use them with Inktense for the most part and sometimes watercolor pencils. I have read some reviews and I can see why you need to be sure that the palettes are dry before closing up or they'll create a mess. I"ll let you know when I try them.

I did just give Prang Oval 8 watercolor buttons a shot and I was impressed with the vibrance of the color and the ease of use. Not lightfast so not for paintings I want to sell but heres' a painting I did in my latest video.

There was no reference photo. I looked at one mushroom and added a couple more in different positions. The color is strong. I painted wet on dry with a touch of wet on wet and the paints preformed well. I think if you're just starting out with watercolor painting Prang is a good set to start with. They retail for $8 to $10 but can be gotten for $4 or $5. Then, if you don't enjoy the method, you haven't lost very much.

Click HERE to view that video and click HERE2 to see the unwrapping of the Meeden 42 set.

Right now I'm planning a loose, for me, watercolor painting using my Sennelier paints. I have four days off in a row and it's earmarked for this masterpiece. 

Before I go I want to give you all the helpful hint about finding out if your paint is opaque, transparent, etc. On the back of the tubes most that I have tried have a tiny square. If it's opaque the square is filled in with black. If it's semiopaque the square has a diagonal line with one half black. If the paint is transparent the square is white and if it's semitransparent there is a diagonal line in the box but no color,  I did not know this.

I understand that Schminke uses a triangle rather than a square. When checking out watercolor paints at the art supply store, turn over the tube and take a look. It may or may not make a difference to you.

Experiment in black

 I finished my video on painting with black watercolors and you can click HERE to watch.

This is the painting, well a rough study, that I completed on that video. Used primary colors mixed with the three blacks, ivory, lamp and mars to create a moody palette. The lamp black stayed close to it's original color absorbing the hues I added. But ivory and Mars black took on the hues of the added colors to create olive green, dark red and a plum. 

I believe that black has been given a tough break and not enouch credit in blending with other colors to create new shades and hues. 

Right now I'm studying staining, granulation, opacity and transparency. My head is already spinning. 

Black, to use ir not to use

 Well, some say make your own black. Some say absolutely use black from te tube. I say it depends on whether or not there is actual black in the composition. 

Many artists say mixing your paints with black creates mud. Well, sometimes that will happen. Sometimes it won't and, I believe, a great deal depends on which black you use. Although to the naked eye under  normal light all of the common paint blacks look alike. The hues I'm talking about are Ivory, Lamp and Mars and I have used all of them. There are other shades of black which come from the many manufacturers but Ivory, Lamp and Mars are most common. 

Black is the subject of my upcoming video but I thought I'd share sone of my observations.  

Ivory black, is a black color with a brown undertone

Lamp Black, is a black with a bluish tint

Mars Black, is a black color with a brown undertone

This is a test I did mixing Winsor Newton Yellow with each of the black paints, from left to right: Ivory, Lamp and Mars. I used about a 50/50 mix of yellow and black and below are the results. Ivory Black: greenish brown; Lamp black: a brownish black and Mars black: a yellow green.  

 The orange in this image is from Winsor Newton Red and Yellow and I matched them side by side with the three blacks so see if there was a difference in view. I didn't see one. I had thought that the orange would  pop a bit next to the Lamp black because of it's bluish tones (center) but it didn't. But if you want to make a muddy green or a yellow green, you don't need to mix yellow and blue. This is just the beginning of my demonstration but, I see some positive aspects to using black in your palette whether alone or  mixed with other colors.

This watercolor painting of a Baltimore Oriole is one I just completed and I used Lamp Black for the black wings of the bird. Sometimes, I add a touch of blue or violet but this time I chose to use a pure hue. It looks good to me. I'm just getting back into watercolor painting after my Covid infection. I've mentioned before that the arthritis in my right hand become more severe after my illness in December so I'm working to rebuild my strenght  and fine motor skills by painting and drawing. I have been trying to create looser work, using pen as I did in this painting to outline the subject but I'm beginning to think that I can work more realistically, consistently with watercolors now so that's where I plan to point my recovery. 

I got a bit off topic there but back to my lesson in black. Up next will be mixing the black with blue and red to see what comes of it and which paints produce cleaner results. Maybe the issue with muddy colors is that the wrong hue is being used.  I'll keep you posted and let you know when my video is complete.