Paint My Photo

I so enjoy doing portraits and on Paint My Photo they had a challenge in March to paint one of the photographs from their website and I chose the Gondelier.  It was my first submission to their site.  They are very encouraging helping artists from all over the world.   You can paint from any of their photos from their website.  A wonderful place!

Gondelier

I used a photo from Paint My Photo by Ruth Archer

For this month, April, I chose to paint a floral from Paint My Photo Challenge.

Aquilegia

I used a photo from Paint My Photo from Dave Smith

Christmas Paintings

Little Shepherd Boy

Available in Prints under "Holidays" Tab

Mary and Jesus (Red Theme)

Available in Prints and Original Painting under "Holiday" Tab

Roses from the Portland Rose Garden

MY two newest watercolor paintings.  

I used a photo reference from pictures that I took this summer at the Portland Rose Gardens.  

Hope you enjoy!

Red Gerber Daisy

 "Red Gerber Daisy"
Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 140 lb watercolor paper. 

Young Women's Values

My Grand Daughter, Kelli,  has such great

moral standards and loves our Heavenly Father.  I wanted to paint a picture of

her holding flowers that represent the Young Women's Values that

she has been learning in Church.  

The original painting that I will give her has a note attached, saying she promises to

hold true to her Young Women's Values.  I hope she will treasure it and remember

how much her Grandmother adores and loves her!

Drip Trees Tutorial

Here is the tutorial for a fast and easy yet beautiful trees!

Squeeze a good amount of "Organic Orange" on your water color paper.

 Using a Viva towel spread paint completely all over your paper.

 Let the Organic Orange paint completely dry.

Using an old scruffy 2" paint brush,  dab on watered down "Phthalo Blue"

to form the leaves on the trees. Make the paint soupy but not too watery so you still

have good pigment.

Stand your paper up and tap it against the table so

that the paint begins to run.  It makes some great tree trunks.

 Using your 2" scruffy brush start dabbin again get more leaves down on the trunks.

You will probably have some of the trunks that do not run down completely on the page so do not panic

as you can just dab on more leaves and you will not be able to tell that they all didn't run down.

After getting your trees formed like you like and

adding some follage on the bottom you can now

dab on some light blue to the trees and follage.  

You are done!  Great job!

Below is just some other colors that you can use to make your trees.

So beautiful!

I used Colbalt Blue, and white in the back ground, Purple 

for the trees.

Colbalt Blue, Hot Pink back ground and Medium Violet for trees.

Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium for background.

Trees, Permanent Carmine red mixed with violet.

Phthalo Turqoise background, Permanent Carmine, Organic Orange, and Cadmium Yellow Medium for trees.

Cadmium Yellow med and White for Background,

Phthalo Blue and Colbalt Blue mixed with white Trees.

Cad Yellow Medium back ground,

Permanent Green, Organic Orange, Cad Yellow Med Trees.

Have Fun!!!

Tutorial for Beautiful Sunset Landscape

I have had a request to show how to paint a landscape, so here is a tutorial on how to paint a colorful landscape that is quick and beautiful.

I use NovaColor Acrylic Paint.  You can use whatever brand you have on hand.  

To purchase the NovaColor paint you can only purchase it 

online as it is not in the stores.  You get more for your money and it is

very good quality and great customer service.  

Contact them at www.novacolorpaint.com and asked for a freecolor chart and list of prices.  

They are in Culver City, California

I also purchased squirt bottles to put my paint in so it

makes it fast and easy to squirt instead to having

to scoop out of the wide mouth container.  I put my own

color labels on them.  

The colors I am using in most of this painting are:

Paynes Gray, Indian Yellow, Organic Orange and Pyrrole Red

I am also using VIVA paper towels.  They are tough like cloth and work very well in spreading your

paint quickly on your surface. For this picture I am using a two inch cheap bristle brush

and a one inch flat brush to begin with.  My watercolor paper is Fabriano Artistico 140lb paper.

You can get it from most art supply stores.

Squirt "Indian Yellow" on your paper.

 Step 2. Using a Viva paper towel, spread the paint over the

intire paper.  I dipped my paper in a little water first so help

the paint spread more smoothly.

After the coat of "Indian Yellow" has dried, squirt

the "Pyrrole Red" on top of paper, then "Organic Orange"

 Using the 2" bristle brush and or your pointer finger,

(yes finger painting is so much fun) softly blend the two

colors stroking back and forth from left to right then right to left.

To even soften it more use the Viva paper towel.

While the two colors are still wet stroke on with

your finger a mixture of a little "Paynes Gray"  and "Pyrolle Red"

 To get a little darker red in the sky.  

 Using the Payne's Gray and Pyrolle Red mixture, using your 1 inch brush paint from

left to right making sure you have a very straight edge that will represent the horizon.

 Using the same 1 inch brush dap the treeline with strokes directly

from the end of the brush and you will get some great trees.

Using a small flat brush and two new bright colors,

Blue Green and Fluoresant Magenta, paint a focal

point on the horizon.  A line of Blue Green, then paint a little above and below using the Fluoresant Magenta.

Add a little more Indian yellow below that

so it looks like the sun is shining.

Making a second layer of trees darken the red with Paynes Gray

dabbing over the red trees making sure you leave some of

the red showing so it looks like layers of trees.  Add the darkened read

in the foreground as well.

Now you try and let me let me know how you did and if you have any questions by emailing me at shirleenbland@gmail.com 

The two pictures below were done with the same technique using slightly different colors and getting the same affect.

HAPPY PAINTING!!