Lesson # 3

Amazingly it is the third week in the Sketchbook & Watercolor Class I am taking and I have completed the third lesson!!!   I will try to do some more this week, but the important thing is I am still on track.  Not sure how this has happened!!!

Our lesson this week is continuous line drawing with our permanent marking pens, no pencils, other than to sketch the frame around our painting when it has been completed.  
 
For those not familiar with this technique, once I start drawing I cannot lift the pen from the surface of the paper until the drawing is completed.  It is okay to draw the rivets in after the main drawing has been completed.  I can trace back over a line if necessary as well. 

Once the drawing was completed, I painted the drawing with watercolors.  I am happy with this little piece, which has been painted on a 5" x 7" piece of hot press watercolor paper.  I still didn't leave enough white areas in my piece, that is one of the things I am having problems doing.

The grain bin is located a mile from our home and has seen better days. 

Lesson # 2

I have completed another watercolor.  We received our second lesson today and I decided to get busy and paint the leaves.  I gathered numerous leaves from the yard and settled on three. 
After I drew the entire group of bugleweed leaves, I thought, what did I do that for??? I could have drawn another 3 leaves in the time it took me to draw and paint that group.  I like it, but I could have made it a little easier on myself. 
  I scanned this one before remembering what the bottom plant is.  It is parrot's beak.  I knew it was parrot's something, but it took awhile.  And I did get this one scanned.  I usually take a photo, but for some reason the photo was washing out at the top of the bugleweed.  The scan looks better. 
 I am enjoying this class.

Counting my blessings

Sometimes I know without a doubt that God is looking out for me. 

  This morning we were within a few feet of being involved in a serious collision when a semi driver came into our lane of traffic.  Joedy slammed on the brakes as we watched the guy swerve to the left to get out of our lane and go into another lane of oncoming traffic. 

 Makes me appreciate the photos I took after returning home even more.  They are of simple things in our yard, but beautiful to me as they are here but a short time.  

The Irish Eyes are hanging in there even though the flowers look a little worse for wear, not as perfect as they were earlier this summer.  They have character now.

The Washington Hawthorne is starting to turn.  These are the only leaves on the entire tree that have made the transformation.  I am in hopes the entire tree will turn before it freezes hard.  They seem to be a little more red than usual.

The Amur Maple is about half way there.  The fall leaves do not stay around very long, a week if we are lucky.  Once there is a bit of wind, they are on the ground.  It is one I have to watch closely or I might miss it.  It has been an unusually warm fall, September was very warm.  Probably what hastened the corn in drying down. 

NO. # 2 Pear & Pomegranate

I have completed
another watercolor.  We are to do 2 or 3 and I have accomplished 2 and it is only Tuesday.  That is exceptionally good for me.  There are 5 more classes to go, will see how my record is by the end of 6 weeks. 
  It was easier this time, I think I achieved better shading, left white areas on the paper, you wouldn't believe what a challenge that is, did manage a few spots on the pomegranate, shading will have to do on the pear.  The shadow is grey this time instead of bordering on brown.  Overall I am happy with this and I should only get better if I continue, right?!!

Watercolors!!!

A couple of months ago I was checking the fall classes on Joggles and came across one taught by Jane LaFazio.  It is Sketchbook and Watercolor: Journal Style.  I am always trying to keep up with my journal, which isn't any better taken care of than this blog.  BUT I have wanted to sketch and use watercolors in my journal for a long time. 

  I must say there is a learning curve when the water part of this watercolor painting becomes involved with the paint.  And a dab of paint goes a very long way.  And there are suppose to be some white areas left after the watercolors have been applied and light areas.  That is a problem too and contours.

 I have completed my first sketch and painted it with watercolors.  I have a ways to go and I must remember to keep telling myself that if I knew how to do this, I wouldn't be in the class.  

  It is fun most of the time and I will not let those watercolors defeat me.  I have learned a little about those as well and not all are created equal.  I had a little set of watercolors I thought would work for the class until I started checking them out and ordered some others.  So I have the first lesson completed, but should work on some other things throughout the week.