Watercolor Demonstration in Old Saybrook During Gallery Opening

A watercolor demonstration by artist PJ Cook.

This photo was taken while I was giving a watercolor demonstration at Artisans Harbor during the last gallery opening in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. The next demo will be on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., where there will be several artists giving demonstrations. Artisans Harbor is at 188 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT.

This is an excerpt from The Day Newspaper /www.theday.com/article: 

On Saturday, Feb. 26 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., several demonstrations are planned. Bernard McTigue will give an oil painting demonstration; P.J. Cook will give a watercolor demonstration; Carole Young will share her glass painting technique; John Houle will demonstrate his woodburning scrimshaw technique; and Kathy Citron will throw vessels on the potter wheel. McTigue, Cook, and Citron all teach classes at Artisans Harbor. Wine, cider, and appetizers will be served.

Sketch for Oil Painting of Watch Hill Sunset with Carousel

I am starting a new oil painting on canvas of a Watch Hill Rhode Island sunset with the famous carousel. This will be a large painting, the size is 40 inch by 40 inch. But this color sketch is just 6 inches, I wanted to work out the colors I will be using for the large canvas. I want to keep this a warm painting with yellows, oranges, and brown colors throughout the entire painting. I will be showing my progress here on my blog so check back for the next step of sketching on the big canvas. Thanks

http://pjcookartist.com/
http://beachcottageart.com/

Creating Interest in Your Watercolor Paintings is Easy With Textures

The following techniques will be some of the lessons I will be demonstrating in my upcoming watercolor class at The Artisans Harbor in Old Saybrook starting on September 26, 2010. The classes are on Sunday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.  So if you are not into watching football on Sundays come and learn watercolor painting!

Using an old worn out brush, table salt or your fingertip is an easy and fun way to create interesting areas in your painting.

A brick wall is easily achieved by varying the color of each brick as you apply paint and then using a light grey wash for the mortar between the bricks. An important step is putting a shadow under each brick. I used a shadow on the left and bottom of each brick for the light coming from the upper right of the picture. I used cobalt blue for the shadow color.   Add detail with dry brush and smaller detail with a small round brush. Remember to save old worn out brushes for dry brush effects, they create unexpected results. Try scumbling, twirling and adjusting the pressure on the paper with an old brush. One of the members of the class stated " this is fun!" while painting her wall. I have always enjoyed painting brick too.

The next texture was a metal watering can. The texture was created with salt. While the paint is still wet add some table salt to the area that you want texture. Sprinkle a small amount of salt onto the wet paint and wait for the paint to dry. As the paint dries the salt absorbs the color around each grain and it can create some great texture. Do not use a blow dryer, let it air dry, you don't want to blow all the salt away! Once the paint is dry, brush all the salt off and continue painting the bucket. You can glaze over the texture area with more paint and add shadows and detail.

The next texture that I demonstrated using salt was for clay pots. It is not necessary to use salt everywhere, for variety put only on select areas of the pots.  After the paint is dry continue modeling the clay pots with different colors and values. Remember to let the paint dry thoroughly before brushing off the salt.

Sponging is another popular technique for creating texture in painting. I often use a sea sponge , they are irregular shaped sponges and the size of the holes varies.  As always practice on scrap paper first to get the desired result.
Smudging paint with your finger works for creating textures on trees and grasses. Blades of grass can be scraped out of paint with your fingernail or the angled point of some paint brushes. I like to use rough paper when I want texture. I used a Arches watercolor paper that was 140 lb. in a rough texture. Try different paper and you will get interesting results.
Come to my class to learn these watercolor techniques and your next painting will be more interesting and effective.  Consider new ways of painting and your work will improve and you will grow as an artist - guaranteed!

Next Step in Seascape Painting of Two Girls Playing at the Beach

My previous post on this painting was on August 18 and you can read that here /pjcook.blogspot.com/2010/08/painting-seascape-of-two-girls-playing-at-the-beach.html. As you can see here I am continuing to refine the painting, adding more and more detail. While painting I always keep in mind where my light source is. In this painting the light is coming from the right side of the canvas.

In this closeup of the girls notice how I keep the highlights and shadows consistent with the light source. This is important if you are looking to create form in the figures. So remember to keep the light source in mind throughout the entire painting. I will be working on this painting this week and should have it finished soon so check back to see how it progresses.

First Step In Planning the Composition of a Painting - Line Drawing and Values for Artwork of a Seascape

This is the line drawing for a commission I'm starting. This first step works out the composition for the painting. It is roughly in proportion to the finished painting.  I'm pleased with this sketch so my next step is to add value to the sketch. I plan on painting a bright sunny day or afternoon but it is important to plan the values in the painting before I go any further.

This is a definition of value from http://www.artlex.com/  an online art dictionary.

value 

An element of art that refers to luminance or luminosity -  lightness or darkness of a color.







Below is a value scale or gray scale in eight stepped grades of values.


 

And another stepped scale produced by hatching and cross-hatching.

My next post will be of the value sketch for the line drawing above.

Photographs that display my Paintings in a Room Setting - what do you think?

I have been working on photographs that display my paintings in a room setting. This is for display purposes only, the painting may not be to scale. But I think it shows a viewer how a painting may look up on a wall in a room that is all decorated. I may include these types of views on my website www.pjcookartist.com for displaying different paintings in various rooms. What do you think? Is this something that helps you see how a painting could look in your house?
Thanks, PJ Cook

Blue Moonlight Oil Painting Finished - Four Foot by Four Foot Seascape on Canvas

Blue Moonlight Oil Painting Finished - Four Foot by Four Foot Seascape on Canvas with a nice dark wood frame is for sale. I have just completed this large painting of the Black Hall River looking towards the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse and the Lynde Light in Old Saybrook.  The light is on in the lighthouses in Old Saybrook, Connecticut with the moon shining in the painting creates a marvelous mood. I have enjoyed painting this moonlight scene and this would look great on a large wall. This oil painting will be at the Hidden Gallery in Old Lyme today so stop by and take a look.
P.J.Cook
pj@pjcookartist.com

Seascape Painting - Third Step Is Painting On the Canvas

Working from my color sketch and value sketch I started painting the composition using a #10 bristle brush. I am painting on an 18 x 24" stretched canvas. Using cerulean blue I paint the wave and rocks as seen in the first photo. I want the layout to be fairly accurate so I take time to be sure everything is correct. Using the cerulean blue I paint in the darker areas to create some value.

At this point I step back and look at the canvas to see if the compostion is pleasing. It looks good so I start painting the sky. Using the same cerulean blue with white I paint the sky. I add a little cadmium yellow light to the lightest mixture for the area closest to the horizon. Then working my way up I gradually darken the blue and white paint.

For the clouds I use the same mixture of cerulean blue and white and add a little alizarian crimson to darken the shadows of the clouds. I continue with the clouds adding white paint for the brightest areas.

I then darken the mixture using the same blue and white paint for the water. I carefully paint the horizon line with this color. I paint the rest of the water above the breaking wave adding rolling waves with different values. Paint the farthest waves closer together and as you move down the canvas paint the waves further apart. This will create perspective in the painting. That's it for now, check back for the next step in painting a seascape in oil. Thanks, PJ

Hand Painted Seashell Mirror

I have just finished painting this 10" x 10" mirror with seashells and whitewash wood grain effect. That is the sky reflected in the mirror in the center. I painted this with acrylic paint and I put a clear matte varnish over the top of the painting. I'm painting another mirror now with piping plover birds on the wood grain. I love those little beach birds they are so cute. Bye for now, PJ

Still Life Oil Painting Finished

This is a large oil painting on canvas that I have just finished. I like to paint lily's, it is one of my favorite flowers. I'm thinking of "Ambience" as the title. The size of the painting is 24" x 30".

I will have this painting on display at the Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival this weekend located at the town green. The show is Sat and Sun July 25 and 26, 10 to 5pm.

Sketching Flowers Outdoors

I bring a sketch pad with me whenever I travel on the weekend or even around town. I have a small sketch pad 5" x 7" that I use a flair type pen and then I add a watercolor wash to the pen drawing. Besides being fun it is great practice and will improve your drawing and observation skills.

The sketch on the left was done on acid free foam board. I like foam board because it is light weight but stiff enough for painting on without any support underneath. I first made a sketch in pencil and then painted in watercolor. I added a bumble bee because there were several flying around the flowers.

Sketching is also good for previewing compositions for a more detailed painting done later, either on location or in your studio.