DIY Watercolor Easel Update

     Sometime in 2014 when I was just starting my art journey, I've made a post regarding a DIY watercolor easel. It served me well for my purpose, and it is still being used up until now. 
     As preferences and style of working became clearer, I realized that it is still possible to make the setup lighter by getting rid of the plywood board and replacing it with something to hold my support board which in most cases I always bring. Let me share with you the updated version  of the ease

The old board was replaced with a wooden arm and the tray is made of aluminum sheet that is lighter and easier to remove.

Wetcanvas Monthly Challenge - July 2015

     For the first time I was I able to this on the second week of the month. Usually I'm able to start at the last week or two days before the end of the month due to busy schedule. 

10" x 14" arches CP

WetCanvas Monthly Challenge - June 2015

     The challenge  for June is about glass jars. It is really challenging yet fun to do. This kind of image requires a tight drawing otherwise it would destroy the illusion. I realized that I failed in the perspective of the lid and in alignment of other elements. I'm happy with the colors though.

10" x 14" Arches CP

WetCanvas Monthly Challenge May 2015

     It has been a while since my last post. I'm aware that the gap between post has been getting longer and I must do something about it. I'm totally swamped between job applications and freelance work. I hope a day will come when I will become a full time painter.
     For this months challenge I've experimented with Canson Montval 200 gsm paper. A lot lighter and little less tooth from what I'm used to using,but way more cheaper. It is really very limiting, since initial layers tend to lift up with the succeeding layers. 
     I've also limited myself to four colors (Dioxazine Purple, Thalo Blue GS, Quinacridone Gold and cobalt teal blue). The Thalo Blue replaces the ultramarine blue that I'm used to using.

10.5" x 7" Canson Monval 200gsm

    I'm really not happy with the result but I will try to use up the remaining stock that I have and hopefully tame this paper.

Tug boat in watercolor

          Another watercolor exercise. Still, from one of the photos taken during our sketchwalk in Navotas by Amado.

11" x 15" Fabriano Artistico CP

April 2015 Sketchwalk at the Manila Zoo

     It's my second time around sketching here when I visited this place last year. There are more animals compared to my previous visit and they looked  a bit better. I guess a lot of urban sketchers are animal lovers since we have a lot sketchers who attended and a lot of new faces too.

The first successful sketch after the warm up

101 Watercolor Portrait Challenge - Portrait 001

     I think doing watercolor portraits is a good exercise in understanding watercolor. My friends Amado and Rica, who are  both good in doing watercolor portraits inspired me to follow suit. So, I'm setting myself a goal of doing a hundred portraits this year. This is my first one.

Color and value study

Trucks in Watercolor

     During our last visit in Navotas, I took some pictures of views that I might paint as an exercise when I can paint out. One of these is the image of the trucks below. It sure is an interesting subject and very enjoyable to paint!

Reference picture from my phone camera

Wetcanvas Monthly Challenge - Lord Leverhulme Monument

     I am a bit late with this challenge for February 2015 since I've been busy for the past few weeks. I'm glad there is really no deadline though if I can help it, I want to be up to date

15" x 11" watercolor on Arches CP

     Quite a challenge indeed! I had a hard time blending the light parts with the shadow parts being careful with the shape of the folds.
     The thread for this challenge can be found here.

Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church

     Another good spot for sketching is Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church I accidentally found through Google maps. A good old church from around 1600. From J.P. Rizal just take Trinidad St. until you reach Gonzales St. Just to be safe I asked permission from the guard to sketch on the premises. I wasn't able to see the interior since a wedding ceremony is currently being held.
I wished to go back here to see what the interior looks like. 

Nuestra Señora de Gracia 7.5" x 11" watercolor on paper

Makati Central Fire Station

     Depending on the location, there will be a different experience from the kind people whose curiosity you will attract while you sketch or paint. Generally, here in the Philippines, most people are not used to seeing other people doing art on the street. One could get a mixture of reaction from admiration to some awful comments, or worst like being confronted by a security guard and asked to leave. I'm glad, I haven't experienced the latter, but in this sketching session it was fortunate that my friend knew someone from around the place since the security guards started roaming  the moment we started.

A shot of our work in progress

January 2015 Sketchwalk at Quezon Memorial Circle

     This post has been long overdue since I have been busy researching builds for a new PC and taking an exam for a job application. The next few post will be updates on sketches and paintings I failed to upload during the last few weeks.
    For the month of January, the sketchwalk was held at Quezon Memorial Circle. I've had  a hard time looking for a good sketching spot. Though being a famous landmark, it was my first time being there so I'm not familiar with the place.  It took me about 30 minutes going around the area and since its about 3:00 pm already, I felt pressured to sketch something before the sun goes down.

The right spot

SketchWalk at Navotas Fish Port

     A friend I met though Urban Sketchers Philippines happens to be a great watercolor artist and a passionate painter. We've decided to paint around  Navotas, Fish Port area in Manila. The first location we visited that looks like a shipyard has a good sketching spot from every conceivable view. The place seems intimidating at first, but once you start sketching all your worries goes away and the only thing that matters is simply capturing the beautiful scenery in front of you.

This large ship is currently being repaired.

Wetcanvas Monthly Challenge - Cherries

     This challenge has gotten serious for me. I mean reflections, shiny objects and glass ? I have never really given it much thought. Until now. I'm so glad I committed myself to joining WetCanvas monthly watercolor challenge. Like what Doug, the moderator says, it is a challenge you wouldn't normally tackle so I find myself learning new stuff every time.

7.5" x 11" arches CP

     I find that a tight drawing plays a really important role here, perspective and proportions should be correct. Otherwise, it just destroys the illusion even if the colors and values are correct.

Sketchwalk at the North (From Vigan to Pagudpod) Part II

Day 3 

     On this day we went further north to to Pagudpod. It was non-stop rain and wind.

First stop, Kabigan falls. We've  walked through  fields and hills to get here while it is raining but it is worth it .

Sketchwalk at the North (From Vigan to Pagudpod)

     I've have never been anywhere really far nor have done any traveling and I know I'm missing a lot. Incidentally, a friend who loves to travel, is going north during the holidays. Going north fits my limited budget plus there are lots of interesting sites to do sketching. We have decided to leave on December 19 since it is the last day of work. 

Our meeting spot is McDonald's in Katipunan. I came early to avoid traffic so while waiting, I did some sketching  there.

Wet Canvas Monthly Challenge - Chinese Garden

     This month's challenge was an interesting one: foliage and reflection! I really enjoyed doing this one since I've always wanted to try water reflections. Here is the thread at WetCanvas with the reference image.

7.5' x 11" Arches CP

November Sketchwalk at the Ayala Triangle Gardens

      For a different experience, Urban Sketchers Philippines decided to do a night sketching at the Ayala Triangle. It would also be my first time sketching/painting a night scene and I wasn't really sure how things would work out. As much as I tried to mentally prepare myself for the challenges ahead, there were still a lot of surprises. First, there was this issue of insects being attracted to the portable lights and landing on our faces! Fortunately, my sketch mate brought some insect repellent lotion. Second, there was also this case of a group of curious passersby asking so many questions. I never thought there would be so much onlookers and some even decided to sit beside us until we were finished. Thirdly, I found out that the gear I brought for the night's session, was too heavy that when I started drawing or painting a stroke, my hands were shaking that I couldn't draw/paint a decent line. But I finished nonetheless and enjoyed the experience.

Everyone else gathering for a group shot of all the works

Learning to Control Watercolor

     I'm trying to do understand the relationship between the amount of water on the paper, on the brush, the amount of paint and the different stages of dryness of the paper. Its easy to understand in theory, but in actual practice, there's a lot of things going on. I find it overwhelming.

Painted using 4 colors : Madder lake, Cad Red, Cad Yellow D, Cad Yellow Lemon on Arches 7' x 10' CP

     This leads me to another basic idea that I must be familiar with the behavior of the paints I'm using and how they react to paper. Is the paint transparent, staining, or granulating? How strong is the chroma? Does the color have a warm or cool bias? With these thoughts, I think I understand why we have to make color charts and why they are important.

Winsor  & Newton paints on Saunders Waterford. The black vertical bar on each swatch is a tool to determine the transparency of the pigment. The top swatch is painted with a thickest mixture possible(pan watercolor), the bottom swatch has been diluted with more water.

Different brands of paints on Arches CP 300gsm. The swatches are painted  from masstone (dense form of the paint from the tube) to a very thin wash. After all swatches have dried, I tried to lift the color completely by slightly wetting the area(see the horizontal fade). and scrubbing with a damp nylon flat brush. Notice that some pigments does not completely lift out.

    For those who are beginning to paint that doesn't have an idea of what to paint, or doesn't have have the confidence and is intimidated by a blank page or paper, try making color charts for an exercise. It will give you a head start. Did I say it's fun ?

There is a follow up post on this here

Wetcanvas October Challenge

     It took me about 3 weeks contemplating how to do this piece and at the same time I want to experiment with a method I haven't done before. The finished piece was not close to what I have in mind, but I'm quite happy with the result. 

7" x 10" Arches CP, Rembrandt WC