December 2021 Monthly Challenge
- Thread starter Hawkmoth
- Start date
Hawkmoth
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Thanks for your kind comments on my Inktense pencil adventure, folks. I've started two more paintings at the weekend, so I'm on target to complete all six by the end of the month!
Anne, it sounds like maybe I like this more than you do! I love it when people try new things and tell us about it. I can see what you mean about not achieving the bright red you had in mind, but to my mind it actually works well because all the colours 'match' in their somewhat muted colour intensity. It looks unified and consistent, and the ink work is excellent.
Anne, it sounds like maybe I like this more than you do! I love it when people try new things and tell us about it. I can see what you mean about not achieving the bright red you had in mind, but to my mind it actually works well because all the colours 'match' in their somewhat muted colour intensity. It looks unified and consistent, and the ink work is excellent.
ams
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Joy, Kay, Christel and Claudia, thanks for the comments.
I decided to see if I could add more color by using regular watercolors rather than the watercolor pencils. I was pleased with the result. I just had to be sure I didn't use too much water or overwork after adding the paint so it wouldn't lift. This paper has a lot of sizing so the color tends to sit on the top and it can be lifted if you work it too much.
I decided to see if I could add more color by using regular watercolors rather than the watercolor pencils. I was pleased with the result. I just had to be sure I didn't use too much water or overwork after adding the paint so it wouldn't lift. This paper has a lot of sizing so the color tends to sit on the top and it can be lifted if you work it too much.
Joy
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Anne - Sorry I didn't read your initial post to note you had used watercolor pencils. I am hopping about several different threads (and online forums!), so often I am reading too quickly. On YouTube, "The Mind of Watercolor" highly recommended the Derwents in his 2021 artists' gift guide.
Hawkmoth
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Nice one Anne, the colours in that one are lovely and bright, and beautifully mixed. Both versions are winners in my opinion.
I've finished the robin (just stretching it flat) and I'm trying to do the fishermen now but it's going horribly wrong!! I've made a right mess with both masking fluid and wax crayon, and made a bad colour choice! I think this one is going to be a flop!
I've finished the robin (just stretching it flat) and I'm trying to do the fishermen now but it's going horribly wrong!! I've made a right mess with both masking fluid and wax crayon, and made a bad colour choice! I think this one is going to be a flop!
CMorPaint
Well-known member
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I'm seeing some lovely versions of these photos on here.
Jo - Awesome job on the tomatoes. Really like the different colors, (you showed them very well.)
ColorEnthusiast - You did a beautiful job on the snowboarder. B/G trees are perfect and the snowboarder really stands out.
KreativeK - You did a great job on the town cats photo. Lots of bright colors and you did it justice.
Hawkmoth - Fabulous job on the snowboarder.
Christel - Great job, I can hear him sing.
Hawkmoth - The Inktense really worked for this. Lovely textures.
AMS - Beautiful work. You showed the little veins as the tomatoes ripen. (Okay, I had this typed and decided to just add. - Wow, the color really pops now. Either version is very nice to me. Good work.)
Joy - I wouldn't call it a mess! I see the b/g nicely out of focus and the branch and bird with bits of detail that bring him fwd. The glint in his eye is perfect.
Jo - Awesome job on the tomatoes. Really like the different colors, (you showed them very well.)
ColorEnthusiast - You did a beautiful job on the snowboarder. B/G trees are perfect and the snowboarder really stands out.
KreativeK - You did a great job on the town cats photo. Lots of bright colors and you did it justice.
Hawkmoth - Fabulous job on the snowboarder.
Christel - Great job, I can hear him sing.
Hawkmoth - The Inktense really worked for this. Lovely textures.
AMS - Beautiful work. You showed the little veins as the tomatoes ripen. (Okay, I had this typed and decided to just add. - Wow, the color really pops now. Either version is very nice to me. Good work.)
Joy - I wouldn't call it a mess! I see the b/g nicely out of focus and the branch and bird with bits of detail that bring him fwd. The glint in his eye is perfect.
Joy
Contributing Member
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Cindy - I was going to attempt that, but it seemed too complicated to get the snow looking natural. You did a wonderful painting, with making the snow look soft, but "weighing down" the berries. The BG is a perfect shade of very soft blue. The only smalll improvements I could recommend would be to delineate the berries within the clusters by placing some darks about individual berries for separation. Also, the frost on the branches is too evenly spaced, like beads. And I really like the way the few smaller clusters of berries are a light value, thus creating depth.
Jo Castillo
Supporting Member
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Thanks, everyone.
Kay, love the rich colors in your city cats. Well done.
Claudia, your snowboarder is so perfect. Applause. Excellent job on the cats, too.
Christel, beautiful bird. Lovely color.
ams, Anne, mmm, I like your tomatoes so much. Great form and coloring. I'm much better with red in pastels. Ha. Ah, I see you added some more color. The tomatoes look good enough to eat.
Joy, you are way too hard on yourself. The bird is great and I like your background a lot.
Cindy, your berries are lovely and delicate. So nice!
Kay, love the rich colors in your city cats. Well done.
Claudia, your snowboarder is so perfect. Applause. Excellent job on the cats, too.
Christel, beautiful bird. Lovely color.
ams, Anne, mmm, I like your tomatoes so much. Great form and coloring. I'm much better with red in pastels. Ha. Ah, I see you added some more color. The tomatoes look good enough to eat.
Joy, you are way too hard on yourself. The bird is great and I like your background a lot.
Cindy, your berries are lovely and delicate. So nice!
KreativeK
Moderator
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Joy, your bird is phenomenal. It is not overworked. From the out of focus background parts to the textures in its feathers and the branch it is very nicely rendered.
Berries look good enough to eat, Cindy. It was not an easy ref but you pulled it off from the varying red tones of the fruit to the snow.
Berries look good enough to eat, Cindy. It was not an easy ref but you pulled it off from the varying red tones of the fruit to the snow.
Hawkmoth
Well-known member
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- 311
Joy, I agree with Kay - your robin is excellent! Obviously you went through struggles in the process of painting it so it feels like a mess to you, but to an outside eye, seeing it finished, it's a very good painting! Nice and loose, with a lovely warm glow in the focal area. If you put it out of sight for a week and then look at it again, I'm pretty sure you'll see it much more positively!
Cindy, lovely berries! Nice juicy lush colours and I agree with Joy, the snow does look like it has some weight. I'm wondering how to handle the snow when I attempt this one. Did you use masking fluid or did you just paint round the white areas? I might try wax crayon. Kay has used that for snow very effectively recently.
Cindy, lovely berries! Nice juicy lush colours and I agree with Joy, the snow does look like it has some weight. I'm wondering how to handle the snow when I attempt this one. Did you use masking fluid or did you just paint round the white areas? I might try wax crayon. Kay has used that for snow very effectively recently.
