No moon tonight

[altivo]

I'm sure it's still big and bright for some folks but here it's too cloudy now. For a busy and tiring day, I feel as if I didn't get much done. But we went grocery shopping and I did some reading and started revising a manuscript. More about that in a day or two, I think

Comments

Call of the Wild

[mondhasen]

We'll see what develops, I'm really not sure what's up with this.

A whisper on the cosmic winds? Can't wait to see these :o)

It comes and goes, for me. I feel I'm circling but I haven't jumped back into the middle of it all, yet. I even picked up some recommended drawing books, something I've avoided for years (self-taught syndrome), but haven't taken the time to look through them.

Taxes to be done first...

Re: Call of the Wild

[altivo]

Fortunately for me, my partner likes doing the taxes so he does mine as well.

I did stretch some cheap cold-pressed paper for a few little technical exercises to get back into the watercolors. It needs to dry overnight, though. I started in this direction two or three years ago, but stalled when I found that my paints were all dried out (no surprise, they were 40 years old) and the search for new materials at an affordable price eventually turned me away. This time I have a little more expendable cash to jump start the process again, so I'm going to give it a whirl. I was pretty good at animal portraits and landscapes once upon a time.

Re: Call of the Wild

[mondhasen]

I thought paper stretching was a lost art. I've still got some boards done up from a few years ago. My use of 90 lb. paper demands drum tight surfaces ;o)

I think my paints are okay, but the ink may be in need of replacing. One reason I quit using technical pens was that the ink would dry up between uses.

Good hunting!

Re: Call of the Wild

[altivo]

I'm so old fashioned that I use dip pens.

Yeah, this was 80 lb. paper, because I'm cheap. When I get around to an actual painting I'll use some 140 or better, though.

I let Argos provide the details here.

Re: Call of the Wild

[mondhasen]

I've always used gummed brown paper package tape to anchor the wet paper.

I couldn't find this when I started stretching paper five years ago, but I found an old Guptill book ("Watercolor Painting Step-By-Step") that listed a better method: white glue. After the paper is soaked and shaken off a bit, lay it down and put a bead of Elmer's or a similar white glue along the edge. Flip it over on your board and use a paper towel to push down the edges only, working outward as you go around the perimeter. Leave the border when you cut the painting free and put your next paper right on top of it :o)

I use dip pens as well: the tech pens weren't worth the trouble. I pencil sketch and then ink, and then erase. I soak the paper with the inked outlines and then paint it when tight on the board. Other methods I won't bore you with.

Re: Call of the Wild

[ext_185470]

Dick Blick's has the old Kraft paper tape. Apparently it's also still sold at Office Depot and Staples. My preferred mail order supply house, Cheap Joe's Art Supplies seems not to stock it, which is strange since the owner is a watercolorist. He offers the plastic stuff, which everyone (now including me) agrees is inferior

Re: Call of the Wild

[mondhasen]

I tried that plastic sided tape and it failed miserably. When I first tried the white glue method I did it on coated particle board, and that didn't work well, either. I settled on finished plywood, and have been very happy with my results.

My main objection to it is that it's messier and leaves a residue on the board that can't easily be removed.I never worry about the glue with the plywood. I don't remove the border from the previous project unless it begins to lift, and then I just putty knife it to a smooth surface (usually a couple of layers down

Re: Call of the Wild

[ext_185470]

I've wondered about the Cotman colors, though they are considered "student grade" as well. One of the nice features of the Grumbacher paints is the fact that they are designed to be rehydrated. So if you leave blobs squeezed into the little wells on a palette and they dry out, they will readily come back to life and be usable when some water is applied. This sometimes works with other paints, but not as consistently I think. You do need to be aware of the fact that the pigments in student colors are synthetic for the most part. That isn't always bad. Cheap Joe's has them labeled in the catalog to tell you which ones are permanent, unstable, or fugitive. He also rates them on transparency and staining qualities. I figure as long as I stick with the "permanent" colors, they're probably just about as long lasting as the expensive ones made from actual minerals and earth compounds