Self Amusement With A Landscape

[Enyaw]

In lieu of rising cost and the fact I only paint for myself I quit a few months ago. However, the time is long and my arm and fingers can only take a few hours a day playing guitar so I decided to by some charcoal. Bad mistake, Hate the crap . More junk for junk pile. I then had this idea of using cheap ass dollar store art supplies to make art. After all, I still had some pads of oil and acrylic paper I could paint on. And so.

And so a ten dollar investment into making an acrylic painting. Well, it went as well as could be expected. The paper did buldge in places and once dry I will compress it to see if it will retain it's flat shape. No biggie. Only for my personal amusement. Not great but not bad for a first acrylic in the last 30 years. Really different that oils for sure. Hopefully as I amuse myself I can amuse you as well and someone somewhere might crack a smile and feel good for a moment. Actually if you laugh instead of smile, that's even better. Everyone deserves to feel good. Thanks for looking.

 

[Terri]

Fabulous to see you pick up a brush again, my friend!

I'm enjoying your landscape - though as someone who's very familiar with your oil work, I can detect some differences. But as always, your gorgeous palettes are always the star.

If you decide to stick with acrylics, you might want to try the Golden Open brand - they are touted as slow-drying, and I can attest to this, which means they are more fluid and allow some rework. A couple of tubes in your favorite shades, or even the smaller tubes that come in their Landscape set, might be a happy medium for you, still much cheaper than oils.

I don't care what you use, it's just lovely to see your work again!

 

[Artyczar]

Very nice Wayne! And we couldn't keep you away for long. You're an artist through and through. Personally, I hate acrylics, but you seem to be mastering them already. If you want to keep going with Acrylics, Terri's suggestion of the Golden Open brand is the way to go.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Terri. I must say it was intriguing to say the least. I will try to incorporate the faults as positives and differences rather than dwell on the failure of the medium to keep pace with oil. Definitely a curve but a challenge and we all know you have to challenge yourself to grow. Good to feel your energy again.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Ayin. I bought everything and more in charcoal supplies to find out I hate the medium. I go to open mic jams and so hopefully some guest will know someone who likes charcoal and they will get a gift they will appreciate. If I feel like acrylics work for me, I will for sure try the opens as suggested. Nice to play with art again.

 

[Donna T]

Wayne is painting again! I think you did a spectacular job with those “cheap ass dollar store” paints. Acrylics can be a pain because they dry so fast but they also allow a buildup of layers without the colors mixing together too much. If you spring for some Golden Opens you might want some glazing fluid too. I mix it in with regular acrylics and it does extend the drying time a little. I’m glad you’re doing art again and even better if it’s just for fun - and to share with us, of course.

 

[Enyaw]

Hello Donna ... glad to bump heads with you again. What's really weird is the open canvas paper I have in front of me for next has no limitations or restrictions and yet I only see white. It's as if it's open too wide to fathom what mark or color should disturb the silence and could possibly be the spark of creation: as if in fear creation will destroy the white beauty. However I have been around long enough to know that creation, like all starts small and develops during our endeavors to cast light on the things that beguile the captured eye of the curious mind. Tomorrow morning shall bring what it brings and all I can do is witness and try to capture some of the beauty displayed through my feeble attempts to capture light. Looking forward to tomorrows class.

 

[ams]

This looks like a success to me! Glad you see you painting again. I also just sketch for my own enjoyment in an inexpensive sketchbook.

If you have one you would like to flatten out, the technique I use to stretch my finished watercolor paintings might work for you as well.

1. Get a piece of gesso board the same size (or a little larger) than the painting.
2. Turn the painting face down (I put it on a towel) and dampen the back of the painting with a damp sponge.
3. Place the dampened painting face down on the gesso board and smooth it out.
4. Clamp the edges (I put popsicle sticks under the clamps) with large binder clips.
5. Let it stay there a few days until it is completely dry.

Have fun painting.

 

[Hermes2020]

Good to see you back in action, Wayne. Hope to see lots more!

 

[Bartc]

Keep it up, Wayne.

 

[Enyaw]

I didn’t wet the back but I did place the paper on a solid strip and then lay a ceramic tile on it overnight. Looked good this morning. Thank you

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Hermes and Bart. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[ams]

I didn’t wet the back but I did place the paper on a solid strip and then lay a ceramic tile on it overnight. Looked good this morning. Thank you

It's nice if it will flatten without wetting it. It makes the process much easier. Glad you found something that worked.

 

[Enyaw]

For once. Today I tried painting the back of the paper with a thin coat of acrylic primer. It curled and I taped it reverse curl for the paint.

 

[john]

I'm with Ayin. Acrylics ......well....to be polite, they confuse me. But you did well with them here. Maybe they can work with your style as their fast drying may allow you to put more layers over? I know that idea probably horrifies you. LOL.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you John. First year no fishing license. Can’t take the cold like years gone bye. Extra layers are great if any of these cheap ass paints are translucent at best. Transparent would be a long shot. Time will tell.

 

[john]

It's warm here and I went fishing this morning. Three fish too small. Forgot to bring a couple things. I would blame age but I've always forgotten stuff. My desire to go fishing runs hot and cold. Didn't go last year at all.

 

[Enyaw]

I only fish cold water so Nov and Dec till ice in and spring ice out for about a month. Cold water trout.

 

[snoball]

Hey! Great to see your work again, Wayne. That's not bad at all for a first acrylic after 30 yrs. In fact it is beautiful. As you are finding out, acrylics act quite differently from oils but you are having no trouble with them. Really glad to see you back and doing art.

 

[Terri]

Wayne is painting again! I think you did a spectacular job with those “cheap ass dollar store” paints. Acrylics can be a pain because they dry so fast but they also allow a buildup of layers without the colors mixing together too much. If you spring for some Golden Opens you might want some glazing fluid too. I mix it in with regular acrylics and it does extend the drying time a little. I’m glad you’re doing art again and even better if it’s just for fun - and to share with us, of course.

Excellent idea about the glazing fluid, Donna.