Sketchbook Sunday: A Pair of Pears

Hi friends! I went to visit my sister last week and my nephew picked me these pears from her pear tree. They were sitting on my windowsill and I thought they were to pretty to eat at least until I got a chance to paint them (they were delicious by the way!)

You can find the 1 hour and 25 minutes real-time tutorial in Critique Club. Critique Club is a membership group that allows you to upload 2 original paintings per month for an in-depth critique from me and gives you two intermediate/advanced long tutorials each month. Members also have access to past real-time tutorials posted for Critique Club Members. Critique Club costs $5 a month and you can cancel anytime. If you want to grow as an artist and have access to more advanced tutorials please check it out:)

Supplies (affiliate links used)

• Watercolor pencils (brands I recommend) Arteza, Albright Druer by Faber Castell, Spectrum Noir Aquablend, Caran Dache Supracolor
• Colored pencils (wax based) Prismacolor
• Sketchbook
• Gouache (Arteza)
• Spatter tool (or use an old art dedicated toothbrush)

I hope you enjoyed this Sketchbook Sunday time-lapse! Remember the real time tutorial can be found in Critique Club and members get access to all past Critique Club tutorials as well so there will be lots to keep you creating! I am enjoying seeing my artists grow in the group and I’d love to have you join us. Thanks for your support! Happy crafting!

Sketchbook Sunday Fluffy Cat in Gouache

Hi friends! Today’s project was a challenge but it was fun to work through the kinks in this painting.

You can find the real-time version of this tutorial in Critique Club.
Every month you get a new creative prompt, 2 real-time intermediate/advanced tutorials and the ability to upload 2 paintings for an in-depth critique from me to help you grow as an artist. You also get access to previous months tutorials as long as you are a member. Click the link above to learn more or join today! *Some people join just for the tutorials, you only have to upload your work for critique if you want to.

Enjoy the time-lapse version and see how the piece came together.

Supplies (affiliate links to Arteza and Amazon, if shopping on the Arteza website use coupon code PROMO10 for 10% off)

• Arteza Premium Gouache set of 60 Arteza or Amazon
• Arteza Expert Colored Pencils Arteza or Amazon
• Stonehenge Aqua Black 100% cotton watercolor paper
• Fusion Brushes
• Reference photo

I hope you got a chance to paint or draw today! Happy crafting!

Let’s Sketch & Paint Tulips!

Hi friends! Today I have a long, yet loose watercolor tutorial for you! We are going to sketch and paint tulips in a jar. Let’s relax, have fun and paint!

Enjoy the video!

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.

Supplies:

• Turner Watercolors: *colors: Indian yellow, Pyrolle scarlet, ultramarine, burnt sienna, yellow ochre
• Creative Mark Mimik Squirrel Brushes
• Fluid 100 hot press watercolor paper block 6″x8″
• Colerase colored pencils
• Reference photo

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I have been very busy with the new puppy (we named her Penny!) so please be patient with me if I am slow to respond to comments or questions. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and til next time happy crafting!

Confused about How Much Water To Use when Painting? I’ll show you!

Hi friends! I have had a few questions from readers lately wondering about how much water I am using. Specifically when I rinse my brush; do I blot it, tap of the excess or what and how much water am I mixing in my paint and adding to the paper.  Because my usually water bucket is large and unsightly I keep it off camera. I want to show the painting and palette as large as possible so you can see it better and I fear the camera might focus on the ridge of the bucket rather than on the artwork. But today, I found some smaller jars to put my water in so I can show you how much water I am working with. I hope you find it helpful as we paint this sweet scene together.

Gather your supplies and join me for a paint-along as you learn about water control!

Supplies (Affiliate links used)

• Windsor & Newton Watercolors (24 half pan in professional series) Colors used: Burnt sienna, Prussian blue, Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, Sap Green
  On Amazon USA or way cheaper at Jackson’s Art (Worldwide shipping/low prices) On sale for $63
• Watercolor brushes: #12 round, 3/4″ flat (you can use 1/2″-1″ flat), #2 round or liner
• Paper: I used 8″x8″ Fluid Cold Press (I used Cellulose in this demo but I prefer cotton) Jacksons carries the 8″x8″ in both materials. Cellulose and Cotton. Amazon has the 8″x8″ cold pressed in cotton only.
• Other: 2 water buckets, a rag, paper towel and a cut up credit card

If you are new to watercolor and would like more training on the medium you might enjoy my online class Essential Tools and Techniques for Watercolor Painting. Use the coupon code TRYME for 20% off, learn more here.

If you enjoyed today’s tutorial please share it with a friend! It helps me know what tutorials are worthwhile and which ones are not. There are handy buttons below if you would like to pin it on Pinterest or share it on other social media sites too and I totally appreciate it more than you will ever know. Thanks and happy crafting!

Enjoying the weather while it lasts

Hi friends. It was full on sunny yesterday, not a cloud in the sky!

I took a long walk, treated myself to take-out and ate my lunch near a pond.

 

 

Then I painted a tree. I used the $13 Meeden fan palette and Arteza Watercolor Sketchbook like I did on my Kayak trip the other day. (Affiliate links used)

I hope you had a good day. Happy crafting!

A Calming Scene in Water-Mixable Oils

Hi friends! I got busy yesterday and forgot to post my sketchbook Sunday, which was actually a painting on a canvas panel because that is what I felt like doing LOL!

I am so ready for spring and summer, I could totally imagine taking one of those boats for a spin! Watch the time lapse to see how I painted it.

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.

Supplies:

• LUKAS Berlin water mixable oils set of 10
• Canvas panel 11″x14″
• Mimik Hog Brushes
• Black Swan Brushes
• Reference Photo

I hope you have a relaxing day and enjoy the sunshine if you have it! Happy crafting!

 

 

Watercolor Pussy-Willows!

Hi friends!  Today I have a springtime subject to paint, pussy-willows! These soft furry buds pop up in early April every year and if you clip some you can put them in a dry vase and keep them for weeks. Left alone on the tree they bloom into long fuzzy caterpiller like things and then turn to leaves in the summer.

These are so fun to paint and give me hope that it might stop raining and warm up sometime in the future. It has felt like the longest winter ever, I can’t wait for spring and summer!

Supplies:

• Watercolors: Burnt Umber, Ultramarine, Sap Green, Yellow Ochre. I used Holbein and Renesas but you can use any brand you like.
• Brushes: 1″ flat, #10 round, 3/8″ dagger
• Paper: Fabriano studio CP #140 watercolor paper *I use the hot press in this brand for stamping (both 90# and 140#) and the cold press #90 for testing and THE #140 for making watercolor blocks. It’s really inexpensive and I buy the 50-75 sheet pads but they have smaller sheet pads if you want to try it out. It is one of the best deals going. It is 25% cotton so it is a nice bridge between student grade and artist grade watercolor paper. I have been using it for 15 years and highly recommend it.
• Prismacolor pencils
• White posca pen
• Other: paper towels, cut-up gift card for scraping, 2 water buckets *Salt for more texture in the background if desired. I didn’t use salt but it would be pretty!

I hope you give this painting a try. This winter hit me hard and this spring has been so dark and rainy. I can’t wait to feel the sunshine. I can’t control the weather but at least I can control my paintings. If you enjoyed this lesson and would be interested in taking a class with me check out my online school! You get real-time, step by step instruction and personalized feedback from me on your finished paintings. You can see the courses I offer here. Want to try a class? Use coupon code TRYME for 20% off any class for a limited time! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

Bubbly Betta Fish // Gouache on Canvas

Hi friends! Sorry this post is late, I uploaded it to YouTube yesterday for Sketchbook Sunday but was too busy yesterday to blog it. My son is getting ready to take is drivers licence test and needs more hours of practice to be eligible so we drove down to visit my parents and sister and her family. We had a great time but got home late and I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to get through my email.

So better late than never right? This painting was a struggle. I almost tossed it in the fire pit about halfway through. But the awesome thing about almost giving up hope on a painting is the freedom in knowing “well, I can’t make it any worse!” and then you can relax and have fun. I hope this in enjoyable to watch and I hope it shows you that everyone struggles sometimes.

Sponsored by Smart Art Box. Visit their website to purchase a subscription, see available past boxes and see what countries they ship to.

Today I am using supplies from the March 2019 Smart Art Box. Occasionally they have extra boxes for sale here, Otherwise you can find the supplies below:

• Savior Faire Gouache set of 20
• Art alternatives canvas panels
• Snap brushes by Princeton *This kit came with a #8 filbert and #4 round but I think smaller flats and filberts would be nice to add
• Palette
• Reference photo

So the next time you are frustrated with a painting don’t be afraid to take a break and then go wild with it. After all, what’s the worse that can happen? Happy crafting!

Draw & Paint Crocuses! Easy Real Time Tutorial!

Hi friends! Today we will draw and paint some crocus flowers! This would be pretty to paint on a greeting card to send someone a springtime greeting. Crocuses are often the first flowers of spring and they even pop up through the snow! Talk about optimism!

In this beginner watercolor tutorial you will learn how to paint translucent flower petals and add details.

Supplies (Affiliate links to Arteza and Amazon used, if shopping on the Arteza website use coupon code FRUGAL10 for 10% off)

• Arteza 36 half pan watercolor set or on Amazon
• Arteza 12 color watercolor tube set or on Amazon
• Arteza 5″x8″ watercolor sketchbook (comes in a 2 pack)  or on Amazon
• Watercolor brushes: #10 & #2 round
• Reference photos: Crocus 1, Crocus 2, Crocus 3

If you would like more flower painting watercolor tutorials check out my Watercolor Flower Workshop! I hope your first full day of spring is a good one and til next time happy crafting!