2013 ALL MEDIA PHOTO CHALLENGE---January #27

Jen I like your drawing very much.  You have the goats head just right.  They are funny shaped and I would think hard to draw.  You mentioned that there was not much contrast in the photo.  When I run into that problem I Create my own shadows.  Like between Nate's body and the goat, under his arm etc.  Darks recede and you know that that his a hole so to speak if you add the darks (even though you can't see them) it gives the picture more depth and shape.  Just a hint on what I do may or may not work for others.

Sam I just picked it out with the end of a needle and it looks just like I didn't forget. lol

Jen, your sketch looks great and the little goat is so cute. They are like little stuffed toys aren't they?

Thanks everyone for you kind words on my sketches.

I took everyones advise and added more shadow. I think it has improved some. THANKS EVERYONE 

Here is my chick's painting #1. I say #1 because they were fun to do and I learned a lot about shading.  Watercolor only on 140 lb. cold press 9x12. This was done using brush only.

These chicks are absolutely gorgious Catherine kudos

Jean, the additional contrast gives your painting more "presence" and pop and underscores its charm. If you wanted to, you could even add a touch more of the darks, I think. Even if you don't add anything more, that subtle change definitely gave it a richer "fabric."

Awww, Catherine, so sweet! I love the expressive use of the brush only. This would be a wonderful gift for a nursery.

Catherine this is a nice little painting.  I like the way you handled their new little wing feathers.  The beaks and feet are nicely done too.  Those are both hard to get to look right at least for me.

Jean I think that you still could use some more shadows especially under th shelf.  Right now it doesn't stick out like it should.  A shadow that comes down onto the wall a little would make your shelf look deeper and like it was jutting out.

Jean, I really love your birdhouse painting.  The drawing is so cute and the colors are really nice.  I agree with Alex that the darks could be pushed even more.  It's the darks that give a painting pizazz and dimension.  Unfortunately, it's the darks that most new artists are afraid of.  Thanks for posting it again.  If you should work on it more, please post it again.

Catherine, I am so proud of you for drawing the peeps with a brush and then layering and adding darks.  They are really cute.  The only suggestion that I have is to put some darks directly under their feet to ground them.  I'm glad that you enjoyed painting this - it shows.  Well done. 

Thank you Jim, Alex, Geri and Sam :) This was so much fun and as I said in my comment on the Member Art page, the chicks remind me of people waiting for a bus. Some are talking, some are looking at things across the street and some are just wishing the bus would come already. One day I'll be posting watercolor paintings of real people waiting for a bus. Just have to learn what I need to learn first. This forum is a great place to take risks.

Jean... lol..I'm reading all the comments on your bird house painting before I start mine. I did put a light wash on the wall this morning and that's as far as I got. I think your painting is coming along real nice and did you notice the spider web draped from the bird house with the green roof over the the bird house with the blue roof? I don't plan on putting that in mine as that skill is way out of my league at the moment.

Jean you are doing so well with this and I know everyone is saying more darks and you wonder where, so this is nit pick time. Go back to the reference and just look at the lower part of the the tall brown bird house on the end. If you look at the perch part do you see how the end is light and right under it is very dark from the shadow of the next door house? Then right under that is a very light line of the front edge of the base of the house. Just that bit right there is a great example of light against dark and how to make things stand out. IF you look closely at every house just small bits at a time you will see what Sam is saying. Hope this helps. I really like what you are doing.

Catherine, your chicks are so cute. Yes is guess they do seem like people in a bus queue or kids waiting in line pushing and wiggling they are definitely not still. You have really captured them well.kudos to you as I probably would hesitate to tackle them.

Catherine, your chicks are quite expressive. I wasn't going to do this photo, but I may give it a try if time left at the end of the month since you have inspired me. Waiting for a bus is a GREAT description - chuckled when I read that. Nice job on this!

Oh, I'm curious about distinguishing watercolor with only a brush. I'm a newbie here so I'm not clear on this - brush only as opposed to w/c pencils added?

Thank you Jen and Kim! I will admit they weren't as easy as I thought they would be. Too much water and they are a washed out blob with no definition and not enough water then they become stiff looking. But they turned out fun and not to mushy and not to stiff.

Kim..Instead of drawing the idea or image first with an HB pencil and then painting inside my lines, I use the brush like a pencil. I mix a diluted color of paint, usually the lightest one that will be in the drawing and then draw with the loaded brush. That way I have my shapes but there is still some wiggle room to be creative as the moment moves me. I don't always draw with a loaded brush and the one I'm working on now with the bird houses is a drawn in with an HB pencil in order to identify the details in the bird house construction.