September Sketch Class

We had an awesome class this month. It was so great to see how everyone stepped up to the plate and took on this challenge. After a demo on how to create distance in a painting and painting vistas I let everyone choose a photo. I had a bunch of pictures face down on the table, everyone had to pick a photo to paint. As scary as that sounds, everyone did an amazing painting! I would love to see some of the other ones, so come on you guys post those pictures!  We have about 2 weeks till our next class. Your challenge is to paint a vista scene, like we did in class but of what you see from your house or near your house. Try to find a scene that has background, midground and foreground. If you are having trouble try looking through your camera lense, this helps to frame your picture and can help you see what you will be painting more clearly. Good luck.
I will be up north, visiting my mom this next week. I am taking my sketchbook and paints, hopefully I will come back with tons of great sketches. It should be beautiful up there since its getting close to fall. Keep painting, remember I have a holiday card class coming up if your interested let me know.

Latest project

Hi everyone!!! I am so excited and proud of all of you, just since our class yesterday we have more of you signed up and posting!!! Congrats to you for being willing to learn and step out of your comfort zone and stretch where it may have been uncomfortable. That is why you are all doing so well, progress is sometimes uncomfortable but well worth the efforts! Applause to all of you!

I was testing sending a photo directly to the blog from my phone, the first picture was sent directly from my phone to the blog, then I added the second one and went into edit posts to add my text. I will be going over this next month at class, all of you will have an email address to send pictures from your phone. Don't worry, you will get it, you guys are awesome!

This is a project I was working on last night. My lisencing agent wants me working on some hot pepper plate designs. They will be putting them on plates of different sizes and maybe a platter and bowls. I am painting the different peppers all around then scanning them into photoshop where I will clean them up and adjust their colors, add text and put them into a round plate format. I am telling you this so you dont think my compositition stinks! LOL There is a method to my madness! I also did a little turtle for a different project. The hospital where Jenn has rehab asked me to design their t-shirts this year. I showed them the design and they asked for a turtle to be added so I painted one and will add in photoshop.

I hope you all enjoyed class yesterday, you are ALL doing great! You not only worked on blending your own colors, you did a double page spread with some new techniques! Bravo!

I am working on something that I hope to release in the next few days, check back soon.

My sketch for yesterday

I wanted to post my (pedal) sketch from yesterday in the garden. My artichokes have been producing like crazy and I decided to paint them as they are demanding such attention! We not only eat the pedals but then we go for the heart!

Our blog, our first post and our second sketching class

    It is Saturday, the day before Mothers Day and seven women have come to spend the morning with me, learning to draw and keep a sketchbook journal. I am naming it "Sketchy 5150's" meaning we are all crazy sketchers! The group is small and intimate, changing monthly as schedules do, but a wonderful group so far. This blog is a new beginning, a place where we will gather to post our pages,artwork and talk about it during the month. After every class I will be posting a review of the class and will also post some challenges here during the month. I will ask each artist that they post a small introduction about themselves. Who they are, why they are taking the class, what they hope to learn, and maybe where they feel they are in their own art journey.

 

   In our class today I talked about learning to draw shapes verses objects and the different types of journals and watercolor papers. The group had each brought a found object and I did a demo by drawing the different objects as shapes instead of things. I drew first in pencil, some in pen some we painted first then drew the final lines while others we drew the lines first and painted. This was an excersize of options. The last hour of class I talked about painting techniques and the difference in wet on dry and wet on wet. I did a demo without any predrawing to demonstrate the difference. I painted some random flowers, wet on dry and then some roses using wet on wet. The goal for everyone was to try to allow the watercolor to do its  job and their job is to not overwork it. I also demonstrated how easily mistakes can be corrected and how watercolor is forgiving if you do it right away. We are working at learning watercolor techniques and drawing skills to apply them to our journals.

With lots of sharing and talking and then walking the garden I had a wonderful day painting with everyone. I am excited to see what pages other will post during the month. The first weeks challenge is to use this wet on wet technique and paint some loose roses as an underpainting on one of their journal pages then to journal over it. I thought this would make a wonderful journal page for mothers day!

My name is Desiree, the fearless leader of the Sketchy 5150's. I have been an artist all of my life, mostly self taught, I have had some wonderful opportunities to work in the interior design industry painting murals and faux finishes as well as painting fine artwork commissions. I then moved into fabric, designing quilt patterns, art quilts and fabric. I also teach classes both for art quilts and for fine art. It is wonderful working with creative people, I learn something from everyone I meet! Welcome to our blog!

Marianne showed up with her arms full of sweet pea flowers she grew in her gardens. The basket filled with wonderful colors and smells for all of us to enjoy.