Posted on March 17, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends, this week I painted a very colorful bird called a Lilac Breasted Roller. When I saw a photo of this beautiful vibrant bird I was inspired! You can find the 90 minute real-time live narrated tutorial in Critique Club now.
Watch the video to see how this painting came together!
The other day I was practicing painting bunnies in my sketchbook and posted the above pic to Instagram and asked if anyone wanted a tutorial and the white bunny with the flower crown was the most popular so that is what we will paint today! I might paint the brown one too at some point, it would be fun near Easter time!
These products can be purchased from the Arteza website or on Amazon. If shopping on the Arteza Website please use coupon code FRUGAL10 to take 10% off your order: (affiliate links used) *I recommend checking prices on Amazon as well before ordering as there can be differences in price and special deals there too:)
** also I wanted to mention that the pan watercolors are more “modern” colors and the tubes are more traditional (better for mixing I think)
Gotta save my peeps some green!
Arteza tube watercolors on Amazon (12 color set I have added in my pan set)
*I put them in half pans in the extra row to fit the basic 12 tube colors. Arteza also has a 24 tube watercolor set, And a 60 watercolor tube set *You can use the tube paint fresh or dry it in a palette. If you fill a palette to dry I recommend adding 2 drops of honey or glycerin to each pan so it won’t crack and fall out when dry.
That’s it for me today! I have so many projects in the works (including a huge DIY stamping ink recipe video!) so I best get back to that but thanks for stopping by and spending some of you day with me! Don’t forget coupon code LUCKY to get 40% off any class in my school if you were looking to pick one up and til next time happy crafting!
Posted on March 10, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends! I had a hankering to paint with oils today. Often oils seem like “a big ordeal” because I have to open tubes, squeeze out paint and then clean up afterward. If you have been on an art journey with me for any length of time you know how lazy I am and I just like to open a palette and go hence watercolor and gouache are my go to paints (and I did think quite hard about painting this is gouache which would be totally suitable) but in the end I wanted the smooth buttery consistency of oil under my brush and you just gotta do what feel right!
I used an 11″x14″ cotton canvas painting panel but you can use a stretched canvas, hard board panel of whatever you like. I chose a panel because they are thin to store and easy to frame if I want to later. I really don’t have much of a preference between non paper surfaces, I just choose one that has the tooth I want for a particular subject. Watch the video to see the process. The painting took just under an hour. It was a ton of fun to paint! Let me know if you would like any real-time oil painting tutorials. I have plans to paint more in oils but I am not sure if I will record them, I will if there is interest tho.
Supplies available at sponsor Jerry’s Artarama! Use coupon code: frugal20FS49 for 20% off $49 + Free Shipping (Excludes: Sale, Super Sale, Egift Cards, Buy It Try It’s and Vendor restricted items. Look for the green coupon eligible icon on the product listing.
Berlin water mixable oil paint (10 color set) Colors used: White, Viridian Hue, Cerulean, Ultramarine, Lemon, Yellow Ochre, Aliz. Crimson Hue, Burnt Umber
11″x14″ canvas panel *feel free to use a stretched canvas or wood panel if preferred.
Keep in mind you can use traditional oils, there really is no difference in the working aspects of the paint or the drying time. For that matter you can use acrylics with a slow drying medium if you prefer. The big advantage of the watermixable oils in the clean up as you don’t need solvents. Honestly I don’t mind using traditional oils and solvents but with my wintertime painting area being right off my kitchen I really don’t want the fumes. And to be honest I get a bit panicky about solvent soaked paper towels. My old studio that I used to rent downtown used to be a bank and so I would store solvents and cans of oily rags in the old bank vault until trash day in case they combusted LOL! Since I taught two oil painting classes a week there were always solvent soaked paper towels about. I think it’s a good idea to be cautious when you use these products at home and I am glad that watermixible oils exist and now rival the traditional ones. That’s all for today, thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
Posted on March 7, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends, here is a bright and cheerful painting you can paint!
Clearly I am ready for spring and I love watching these sweet birds on the thistle feeder out my back window. To tide us (in the North) over until warm weather returns you can paint this sweet painting. Watch the video to see how!
Supplies (Affiliate links used)
Paul Rubens Watercolors: Cad yellow, Lemon yellow, Cad red light, Rose, Mauve, Prussian Blue, Sap Green
If you liked this tutorial and want more in-depth instructions for painting birds you may enjoy my class Technique Toolbox: Feather’s and Foul. That class explores painting birds and feathers in detail should you want more:) Thanks for painting with me today and til next time happy crafting!
Posted on March 3, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends! I was craving something “real” to paint, is in something I could actually hold and examine. Usually I would find a plant or flower or moss (something outside in nature) but since everything is buried under snow right now I had to get creative. That was when I noticed some leftover fortune cookies from some take out we had the other day and this painting was born.
This painting was done with many breaks in between. The nice thing about it being a packaged item is that I didn’t have to worry it would wilt or rot before I finished the painting! For anyone who is interested the real-time version (all 85 narrated minutes of it) is available in now Critique Club which is my monthly membership club for folks who want individualized feedback on their paintings as well as some of the more advanced (long) sketchbook Sunday tutorials. You can learn more about that here and sign up if it is something that would be valuable to you in your journey as an artist.
As always with Sketchbook Sunday, here is a time-lapse of this weeks painting. Even the time-lapse is long LOL!
I urge you to look around your house and see what ordinary objects inspire you and do a sketch of it. You can spend as little or as much time as you like on it. This will train your brain to see beauty in the everyday. Til next time happy crafting!
Posted on March 1, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends! I have been fighting a cold this week and it made me miss recording a beginner watercolor Wednesday video BUT I was well enough to record one yesterday! WooHoo! We are going to paint lilies. They are one of my favorites.
You can switch up the colors to paint the lily you like best. Watch the video to see how:
Supplies:
Renesans Watercolors (any brand is fine tho) I used cobalt blue, magenta, gamboge, sap green, Still De Grain Brown (or burnt sienna)
If you would like more loose style watercolor flower tutorials please check out my Watercolor Flower Workshop. With nearly 8 hours of real-time step by step instruction and 18 different flowers taught you will be creating oodles of beautiful bouquets and floral designs in no time! If you can’t wait for spring to arrive pass the time by painting posies! Click here to learn more.
Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
Posted on February 28, 2019 by thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich
Hi friends! I just wanted to pop in to remind you that today is the last day to take advantage of my launch month special for my new Soft Pastel for Beginners online class!
I always want to make sure that my friends and supporters get the chance to learn at the lowest possible price and that’s why I launch my classes to you at 50% off. I appreciate you taking a chance on me and trusting me to guide you through your artistic journey.
Every time I use pastels in a video I get asked if I will do a class for the basics to walk people through what to buy and how to safely use this wonderful medium. I go over the best bangs for your buck and what you should have and what to skip, where to skimp and where to splurge and I also walk through four finished paintings. Watch this quick overview of what to expect in the class:
I also show you the options for pastel painting so it can be the most enjoyable for the way you like to paint. If dusty fingers and the noise of the pastel scraping on the paper bother you I share alternatives such as pan pastels and applicators and I show you how to adapt the lessons for those if you wish.
I want to make sure your painting is a safe and fun experience so we will build good safety habits from the start. It is one of the reasons I recommend a student set of pastels to begin, not only do they cost less but they are non toxic too and do not take away from the enjoyment of the medium.
If your goal is to try a new art medium this year I encourage you to give pastel a go! It is a beautiful medium on its own or as a compliment to your watercolor painting. Click here to learn more about Soft Pastel for Beginners and save 50% off today! Use coupon code COLOR if the discount doesn’t appear. Regular price is $79 but you save $39.50 with coupon code COLOR Through 3/1/19.
Thank you so much for your support and encouragement and I hope to see you in class soon! Happy crafting!
