Painting of the Week

Painting of the Week – Study of a Saddled Horse

Warm Up Paintings

Warm up Paintings

Artists can warm up their paint brushes. It’s good to get the right mix of water to paint, your timing down, and adjust to the humidity of the paper before anything is permanent. When painting multiple flowers, the second one is often better than the first. Then I ask myself ‘Why didn’t I warm up?’ This warm up was started prior to painting a scene with horses that was all drawn out. It brewed success. Practice instills you to slow down and take your time.

A proper warm up is for the artist – results and excuses should not be given. An open thoughtful attitude is required. Don’t make it hard. You are not composing-just paint what you see and you will be more nimble with the brush. For five minutes, use an identical surface, hold a photo in your hand of a similar subject and start painting it. Familiarity brews boredom and lack of attention. Force your total concentration by not drawing out your subject. I tell myself “focus, focus and focus”. It will help even if it doesn’t look right. Don’t talk, paint. Don’t fix it. When other thoughts pop into your head, focus. Since watercolor layers, I only warm up on the first layer, and the next day add the next layer as a warm up. It’s very calming when you are excited. Vary rarely do my warm up paintings turn out…but that is not the point. Your goal is to get you in tune to the medium, the timing and to really see the subject. I like this one.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

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Upcoming Weekly Workshops

Fargo Country Club 509 26th Ave S, 509 26th Ave S, Fargo, ND

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Watercolor 1 

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