This week I played with watercolors, an old set of Dr. Ph Martin’s. It was given to me after my mother-in-law, Anna, passed away. I was gifted all her wonderful art supplies, a lot of them are packed up, but I’ll often dig into the boxes and see what I can play with. I think this set is probably over 30 years old!
I love these Dr. Ph Martins Radiant Concentrated watercolors because they are so translucent and bright! Great for layering and mixing (especially the oranges + pinks!). The downside to these paints is that the color is made from dye, so they are not lightfast, which will fade over time. They are excellent for art that will eventually be scanned or great for art journals that fold up and close. My Favorite color is – 19B Wild Rose. So yummy!
All week I have been trying new things, sometimes I am sketching out a rough composition with watercolor pencils, or I’ve been painting straight onto the paper with no idea what I am going to paint. I know that I want a floral theme in bright colors as that brings me the most joy!
What I know: I am trying to be present in these sessions and think about what I like, what I don’t like, what I am feeling. All so that I can get better each time. I do know that I absolutely LOVE this time in the studio. I LOVE the process of play. I LOVE exploring different color combinations.
I can’t say that about the finished pieces yet. I realize there is a work in progress, and great starts for the next one! One way to figure out what is working is to create crops, whether with a matte frame or through your phone. It’s a great tip on figuring out what you like so that you can use that as a springboard for a new painting.
When I work this way with watercolors, I will often layer in Caran D'Ache Neo Color IIs. I love these wax crayons as you can use them dry or wet. (Make sure you get the II's and not the I's though!)
Next week I will experiment with another set I was gifted (from my mom), also by Dr. Ph Martin, called Hydrus Watercolors. These are lightfast and made from pigments. I don’t think they are as bright or translucent, but I will have a go and let you know what I think!
xo
Have a fabulous week - full of love + light.
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