ONE HUNDRED WASHES

A YEAR THAT CAME TO AN END

2012-01-30T15:34:00.008Z

A brush of colour to inspire you......

I thought I would write one last post as a finale to our one year of 100 washes.

So many people view this blog and our followers are still accumulating daily, which only reiterates the quality and diversity of our work and my fellow "Washing Girls" willingness and ability to share their love of watercolour. I personally miss the interaction from Olivia, Theresa, Jane, Christy, Vandy and Suzanne.

Also thought I would take the time to share the news of my article in the April edition of Watercolor Artist magazine, which is available in the USA in Feb. The article is all about colour featuring my work, ideas, tips and ten steps to creating your own personal colour workshop. I just received my April (contributor) copy in the mail, and it looks like a great issue. There are lots of fab paintings and articles, including work from Dongfeng Li, Shirley Trevena, Thomas W. Schaller, Nita Leland and many other wonderful watercolourists. It really is a nice issue and worth checking out. I can’t wait to read it from cover to cover.

I know I speak for all of my “washing girls” who participated in this blog….. when I say one last big thanks to our many followers who have left encouraging comments over the year.

I hope everyone has been inspired in some little way by our washes, words and enthusiasm.... and that you have the courage of letting your pigment and water guide your brush.

Maggie ~ January 30th 2012

Greeting Cards

2012-01-15T12:58:00.002Z

Anamaria e-mailed me and said we had made her day when her name was randomly selected as the winner of a set of greeting cards showcasing some of our washes from our year of washes!

Having been given the option of either the overall winning paintings from everyone’s votes or the images she herself selected when she voted in December, she opted for her personal group of paintings for her greeting cards.

Below are her personal selections, which differ slightly from the overall voted winning images.

We have a Winner!

2012-01-14T08:02:00.005Z

Anamaria’s name has been pulled randomly out of the hat as the winner of a set of fourteen greeting cards. Anamaria please e-mail me with your full name and address. I will get the cards out to you by mid February.

I tallied up the votes of your favourite washes/wash paintings from our year of work on this blog and was shocked to see such an across–the-board array of choices. In most cases there were no really out and out clear winners. Some of the paintings were placed as winners by only one vote. It was a difficult task to sort through the votes and to the best of my knowledge I have added up the votes correctly.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the voting, congratulations to Anamaria, and a huge thank you for the continued support from those of you who have followed our world of washes and left encouraging comments along the way.

May all your watercolour-painting dreams come true for 2012…

Maggie, (January 2012)

Below are the 14 winning selections, two from each artist ...in no particular order

Last Chance To Win 14 Lovely Greeting Cards

2011-12-28T13:18:00.003Z

VOTING CLOSES JAN 1ST 2012

Last few days to be able to vote on your favourite Washing Girls paintings/washes from this blog. See previous blog post for rules about voting. Why not begin your New Year with some lovely greeting cards?

Please vote in appreciation of our hard work and dedication to this blog.

Happy New Year to everyone...... Maggie

Vote For Your Favourite Wash Painting.....

2011-11-27T19:19:00.003Z

***VOTING CLOSES JAN 1ST 2012***

PLEASE VOTE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW POST

Hello everyone,

By now you all know that our journey with 100 Washes is over, and I would like to thank all the participating artists and all our followers who have left encouraging comments throughout the year.

It has been a wonderful journey for Jane, Olivia, Theresa, Vandy, Christy, Suzanne and myself who took part in this challenge, and I know many of us are continuing our washes journey on our own blogs

Now for the fun part…. A Poll

I promised to run a poll to vote on your two favourite washes by each artist. The easiest way to do this is via the comment section of this post in this format:

For example.....
Jane: numbers 8 & 48

Olivia: numbers 9 &78

etc…

So, to re-cap: write the name of the artist first, then the two numbers of your favourite paintings by that particular artist. You will need to make a list of seven artists and name your two favourite paintings by each artist.

How to view each artist’s work…

If you click on the name tab of each artist under the blog banner/header you will pull up a stand-alone page for that particular artist where each wash painting is numbered. Write down your favourite two paintings and then post them to the comments section.

The poll will be open for voting until December 31^st 2011, after which I will tally up the votes and each voters name will go into a hat and the lucky name pulled out will receive fourteen greeting cards (two winning images from each blog participant) showcasing the wash paintings with the highest number of votes.

All blog participants and followers/blog readers may vote, but only followers/readers will be entitled to win the set of greeting cards. Please let your fellow bloggers know about the poll if you think they have been following our blog and would like to join in.

My best wishes to everyone and happy voting!

Maggie

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 99 # 100.

2011-10-30T16:18:00.003Z

Last washes # 99 # 100.

YES I DID IT !

Maggie, Jane, Christy, Theresa, Vandy, Suzanne ,

What a wonderful journey with you all !

Seven washing girls have grown and burnt together around washes in watercolor. Such a pleasure !

I learnt a lot of you and from you. I will follow you on your blog or FB.

I am feeling I progressed with washes in watercolor and also in English !!!

If ever you come to France...

I washed my point of wiew about washes .

Thank you all. You are in my heart.

Christy Lemp wash #70

2011-10-28T17:29:00.005+01:00

Continuing with the candle theme, and it sort of ties in with our 1 year anniversary of washes. Happy anniversary everybody! It's been wonderful meeting you all and learning together, and I so look forward to following our journeys together in the future. It will be a new beginning! I'll continue my 100 washes on my blog; congrats to you all for completing 100 right here.

This was wet in wet with orange and rose lake, new gamboge, and winsor violet, brown madder and prussian blue. I did negative painting all around the candles first this time instead of directly painting candles first.

jane minter wash # 100

2011-10-28T10:49:00.001+01:00

wash #100

"counting"

Abacus wash

A huge thankyou to you all Maggie Suzanne Theresa Olivia Vandy and Christy . ....I feel like I have only just started with the 100 wash challenge .... whilst we have been creating 100 washes my youngest daughter has arrived at the number 40 in mathematics ....lots of addition and subtraction with her abacus ..I painted just a small section of her abacus back in summer 2010 ....Gloria might arrive at 100 by the end of the year !

I've enjoyed this joint challenge immensely and learning with you all .... I've discovered so much from painting the washes , just touching on the surface of new approaches and techniques . I'm sure everyone will carry on exploring and experimenting. Like all of you I feel sad the challenge has come to an end and will miss you all . I will enjoy following each of your individual journeys !

"reds"

washes #100 +

Vandy Massey #100

2011-10-28T01:03:00.007+01:00

This clematis flowers in our garden in late august or early September every year. It is one of my favourites because it's bright and bold, and it just feels like a celebration. But at the same time, it always makes me a little sad that the summer is almost over.

I thought this would be an appropriate image for my 100th wash because it reflects the way I feel about this 100 wash challenge. I have really enjoyed being part of it, and I'm honoured to have been included in this group of artists. And, as we've all said at some point, I can't help feeling a little sad that it is over.

Thank you for all your supportive words, your good advice, and for sharing your lessons in watercolour washes over the past year.

Bockingford 140lb

Windsor violet, cadmium yellow, sap green and windsor blue.

And a bit Gouache and oil pastels for detail.

jane minter wash # 99

2011-10-26T16:27:00.001+01:00

watercolour wash # 99

"decorative ornamental corn on the cob"

Canson Fontenay 32 x 41 cm

indian yellow+ cad yellow +quin gold+ burnt umber +raw sienna +windsor violet +colbalt violet

quick "wet in wet" wash /sketch from life no pencil

christy Lemp wash #68 #69

2011-10-24T21:03:00.003+01:00

Needing a subject for a painting class, I looked up at our fireplace mantle where some candles were lit and decided to try those. However, they also look like pumpkins for Halloween night. I was also excited to try some new paint, the Maimeri brand that I think Jane has used. They are very creamy and saturate well and a little less costly than WN. Here is Maimeri rose lake, orange lake and burnt sienna, and WN new gamboge, quin gold, brown madder and winsor violet. I'll probably put some more details in later on when I decide if I want them to be candles or pumpkins!

jane minter wash # 98

2011-10-23T22:13:00.000+01:00

watercolour wash # 98

"Crostoli"

Dolci di Carnevale

raw sienna + burnt sienna + windsor violet + quin gold
Canson Fontenay 300g/m2

......I didn't post this when I painted this early this year at the end of Carnival at the same time as I painted the Venetian Masks wash # 53 ..thought I'd post it now as it was fun wash and an example of using bubble wrap to create texture in a wash .

Vandy Massey #99

2011-10-22T21:43:00.004+01:00

Last weekend I went to Wales to do a workshop on designing lace knitting. Naturally, I couldn't resist trying to paint a shawl. The challenge was to capture the softness of the yarn and the drape of the shawl as the weight of it pulls the yarn into gentle folds - and of course the definition of the stitches, and the light shining through the design.

Bockingford 140lb

Gamboge, windsor violet, indigo.

jane minter wash # 97

2011-10-20T13:33:00.001+01:00

wash # 97

77 x 58 cm Arches 600 g/m2

swatches : rectangles 22/ 25 x 9 cm squares 9 x 9 cm

winsor blue + windsor green + light turq + phtalo turq + raw sienna + red oxide

inspired by maggie had fun subdiving a large sheets and just making lots of swatches / washes very quickly yesterday ...colours are quite saturated ... wet on dry and wet in wet round and flat brush

jane minter wash # 96

2011-10-17T19:42:00.000+01:00

watercolour wash # 96

"single dried hydrangea head"

Canson Fontenay

32 x 41 cm

quin gold + yellow orche + colbalt violet + windsor violet + phtalo turq + burnt umber

.......painted from life watercolour study "wet in wet" inital wash and "wet on dry"

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 98

2011-10-17T07:51:00.000+01:00

Bath of wash .

Like a fresh shower of watercolor.

31cm X 41 cm

12"X 16"

Papier Arches grain fin 300 g

Burnt sienna, vivid green, cobalt blue deep, van dyke, yellow naples red.
Arches paper cold.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 100 !!

2011-10-16T17:09:00.001+01:00

'WASHING GIRLS MEADOW'

Olivia refers to us 100 Wash participants as the 'washing girls' so I decided to dedicate my final wash to all of you. This little meadow has been named in honour of our washing, sploshing journey together this last year. I have enjoyed it so much and will miss catching up with all your experiments. Of course, I will visit your blogs often and see what you're getting upto ;) I will definitely be continuing on my own watercolour journey and have lots of ideas about watercolour and watermedia to explore and share on a new website I'm in the process of setting up.

To Maggie thankyou for organising it all and being so interesting, informative and supportive in your comments. I have really learned a lot about watercolour by taking time out to experiment more.

Jane, grazie molto per la condivisione acquerelli ispirazione!

Olivia, votre créativité est une source d'inspiration! J'espère que vous aimez notre prairie? ;) ;)

Christy, thanks for sharing your beautiful flower washes from across the pond :)

Suzanne, it has been a treat to see your fabulous drawing in the washes with your clever brush ... slainte!

Vandy I've really enjoyed your gorgeously colourful wash experiments ... thankyou :)

Thankyou all so much for being such good painting friends.

Keep washing those colours!

Last but not least, I would just like to say a big "thanks"!!! to everyone who has followed this blog and chipped in now and then with your valued comments. I hope you'll follow what we get upto next on our own painting blogs ... see you there!

Theresa x
'WASHING GIRLS MEADOW' prussian blue, paynes grey, aliz crimson on Arches HP. Wet on dry.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 99

2011-10-16T16:11:00.001+01:00

Experimenting still with textures but I'm now mostly working on HP paper. I've really grown to prefer the surface (for now ;)

This is wet on dry, prussian blue, indigo and green gold. I also drew into the wet paper with a stick, dropped clear water which formed the white flower heads (I gently dabbed the centres with a tissue when nearly dry to bring back some brighter white). I also threw some salt into the wet wash. When dry, I painted a dilute wash of aliz crimson over left bottom area and then spattered with indigo. Fun!!!!

jane minter wash # 95

2011-10-14T16:24:00.001+01:00

watercolour # 95

winsor violet + caput mortuum + magenta (block x)

Vangerow Torchon 275g/m2

20 x 50 cm

wanted to try adding glazes to # 95 ... approx 5/6 glazes with mainly trans yellow some winsor violet + caput mortuum it's overworked but it's a start

jane minter wash # 94

2011-10-14T16:14:00.004+01:00

watercolour wash # 94

turq phtalo + turq light + magenta + trans yellow

canson fontenay

32 x 41 cm

christy Lemp wash #66 #67

2011-10-14T15:27:00.003+01:00

Glorious fall! Painting frantically as the leaves keep falling.

this is the scene from a golf hole that we play near our house. If you're lucky enough to make it over the gully onto the green you enjoy this scene even more. I found a place to sketch without getting hit!

I sat in a chair under a tree in my yard-80 degrees sunny day and happily painted leaves as they were falling all around.

Maggie Latham #100

2011-10-12T12:28:00.003+01:00

Something fun for each of the One Hundred Washes participants!

....each mini wash 2 x 6.25 inches.....©Maggie Latham 2011

…So this is it…post number 100 almost a year to the day that we began this exciting blog!!!!

For my last, one hundredth post, I though I would post six mini washes as hand-painted greeting cards, one for each of my dear fellow participants. So ladies, I hope you like them, and if you could e-mail me your addresses I will get one off to you. It’s my way of saying THANKS to all of you for your participation…all of you who have made this 100 washes challenge blog so much fun. Your dedication has been outstanding, and I could not have maintained this blog without your enthusiasm and commitment.

The scan has come out a little brighter maybe than in real life, and these washes are kind of weird because they have been painted on some really strange greeting card stock which must be more synthetic than natural fibre card.

Anyhow, I thought a little card for each of you would be something to remember our one hundred washes journey by…. and I must say I am feeling a little sad while writing this. Even though tomorrow will bring new horizons and new creative things to discover, I will miss painting my washes for, posting to, and maintaining this fabulous blog.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 98

2011-10-11T15:21:00.000+01:00


Sketch using BLACK!!! eeek.

Something I have never done (and I don't know why) is use black in a wash. Well, I though it might be a useful experiment as we are nearing the end of this blog :(

What I wanted to find out is whether the black (lurking unopened in my paint box) would completely overwhelm the other paints and kill their luminance. Well, to some extent it did but I quite like the effect.

I painted this sketch on Arches HP. I will try if the black behaves differently on another surface. First, I painted the tree trunks and branches, wet on dry, starting by adding the black shadow area to one side and then adding quite creamy washes of burnt umber, indian red and plenty of water dropped onto the wet washes and allowed to pool.

When dry, I applied a random wash, wet on dry over the background area and across the tree trunks, dropping neater colour splatters of yellow ochre and burnt sienna as it was drying. I also flicked a bit of salt into it whilst it was still damp ... why not? ;)

I found, to my surprise, that black can be pushed away by other colours. Obviously, I will need to experiment with lots of colours (and I will) but indian red did it - see how black outlines have been created by the black being pushed aside. The burnt umber simply mingled but it may behave differently with a stronger mix / amount of paint. I also like the cauliflower effects created by the black paint being dispersed in the wash. It seems to suit tree bark but would perhaps look bad in washes for other purposes.

What I didn't like so much was that when I tried to wash over the dried black paint, it became fluid and 'on the move' immediately - eagerly wanting to spread into the yellow ochre. Still, I do feel like experimenting with black more. I think it might have a few surprises to throw up!! :)

CLOSE-UP DETAILS:

Click on images to pop-up larger.

Christy Lemp wash #63 #64 #65

2011-10-11T13:12:00.004+01:00

I'm still plugging away at my washes-congrats to you all for finishing up and I will continue on my blog when you're all done!

We had a spectacular Indian summer weekend here in Central NY. The colors and lighting were so beautiful everywhere you turned. I have a lot of sketches on the docket: here are 3 small studies on an Arches #140 block 5 1/2" by 7 1/2"

used Quin gold, Perylene maroon, Quin magenta for a wet in wet wash

these are "trick or treat" pansies, scarlet lake, new gamboge, winsor violet and sap green

color combo of all the above! Mums and pumpkins are everywhere now.

Vandy Massey #98

2011-10-10T22:11:00.003+01:00

Following Maggie's suggestion of trying knitting yarn as well as gauze bandage to create texture, I added a thick bouclé and a handful of fine lace-weight mohair.

The lanolin in the yarn created an area of resistance around the yarn, which left a slight halo effect around the area. This was a little strange as the yarn did actually soak up the paint and leave marks where it was in contact with the paper.

Hahnemuhle 140lb

FUB, prussian blue, hookers dark green, viridian, burnt sienna.

Vandy Massey #91, #92, #93, #94, #95, #96, #97

2011-10-10T21:24:00.006+01:00

I had a geek attack this weekend and got into analytical mode. Thinking about the relative ways in which opaque and transparent colours work together I put together a series which would allow me to look at 7 yellows with 7 orange/red/pink tones painted over them. 49 combinations in all.

It wasn't terribly inspiring, but it was useful and I now have reference sheets. This was a working exercise so the leafy shapes are not particularly precisely painted.

Starting with transparent yellows, and working in the same order down each page: one version of a vaguely leafy shape was painted directly onto the page with hard edges. The second one was painted by dropping pigment into a shape painted in water on the page. These second images showed the transparencies up very well.

#91 - Aureolin Yellow - Really luminous with all colour combinations

#92 - Transparent Yellow

#93 - Quinacridone Gold - Lifts off the paper very easily so has a tendency to merge with the second glaze a little. This is a transparent colour but didn't display as much luminosity as the previous two colours.

# 94 - Yellow Ochre - Semi Opaque

#95 - Cadmium Yellow - Opaque

# 96 - Lemon Yellow - Opaque

# 97 - Turner's Yellow - Opaque

The leafy shapes are painted in:

1. Alizarin - Transparent - granulated

2. Burnt Sienna - Transparent

3. Perylene Maroon - Transparent - granulated a little

4. Opera Rose - Semi Opaque - slight granulation

5. Windsor Orange - Opaque - very creamy orange

6. Cadmium Orange - Opaque (came out quite 'burnt orange' in colour)

7. Cadmium Red - Opaque

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 97

2011-10-10T10:59:00.000+01:00

I found sweet chestnuts # 97
.

Vivid green, indigo, van dyke brown raw sienna.

Do you remember one of my first washes ( # 05 ) ?

The night sweet chestnut tree.

The morning walker will find the bugs of sweet chestnuts.

Vandy Massey #90

2011-10-09T00:26:00.008+01:00

More help from the bathroom cabinet. This time I decided to try using lengths of bandage laid on the paper to see how the pigments diffused through the gauze.

Here's the final result

Very soft, with the texture of the cloth showing in places. Opaque colours stayed more vibrant and defined. Some of the blues were dropped in with the eye dropper. The rest were painted on with a large brush. There are some particularly interesting effects in the blues. This could work for a textured section of a painting, perhaps with the bandage strips laid less precisely to increase the possibility of random loveliness.

Colours: Indigo, cerulean, prussian, cad yellow, raw sienna and crimson.

Paper: Hahnemuhle

Here's how it worked.....the demo

Wet paper. Strips of gauze applied. wet again to make sure there was no dry cloth.

Paint applied, quite intensely in some cases. Waited until the paper was almost dry before removing the gauze.

And the bandage strips, when removed, are rather lovely in their own right. I've kept them to re-use in some paintings, or to become part of a collage later.

Vandy Massey #89

2011-10-09T00:21:00.003+01:00

This week I decided to be experimental with my washes so I raided the bathroom cupboard and found a few things I could paint with. An eye dropper filled with deep prussian blue made some lovely runs down wet paper.

Quinacridone gold and prussian blue on Hahnemuhle.

Suzanne Lindfield #99

2011-10-08T16:39:00.003+01:00

Wash 99 - leaf study wet-in-wet using alizarin crimson, indian yellow and dioxazine violet.

I realised I made a mistake with the numbering of my washes. Wash 97 was abstract leaves,and not the chestnuts. So that makes this 99. Apologies for any confusion!

Wash 99# leaf study using alizarin crimson, indian yellow and dioxazine, wet-in-wet in an outline of water.

Suzanne Lindfield #96 #98

2011-10-08T16:33:00.003+01:00

Wash #96

Wash #98

I realised I made a mistake with the numbering of my washes. Wash 97 was abstract leaves, also posted to my blog. So that makes these 96 and 98. Apologies for any confusion!

Chestnuts - two pairs of chestnuts on mystery paper. This paper was a part of the gift of paper from a friend, so not sure what it is! Both are mix burnt umber, burnt sienna and quinacridone gold all wet-in-wet in one go. When dry I went back in wet-in-dry.

jane minter wash # 91 and # 92

2011-10-07T08:10:00.000+01:00

watercolour wash # 92

without pencil

transparent yellow +cad yellow +windsor blue + colbalt turq + indian red W&N

CANSON montval 30 x 42 cm

watercolour wash # 91

transparent yellow +cad yellow +windsor blue + colbalt turq + indian red W&N

CANSON montval 30 x 42cm

.......a couple of initial rose washes painted outside in the garden ..could add a little more to these ...# 91 with a pencil sketch and # 92 without

Theresa evans - Wash # 97

2011-10-05T17:30:00.000+01:00

Evening Hedgerow. Sky - Ultramarine blue, aliz crimson, yellow ochre. Hedgerow - paynes grey, ultramarie blue. Arches NOT. Wet on wet sky. Wet on dry plus clean water dropped onto hedgerow as drying to create slight texture.

Theresa Evans - wash # 96

2011-10-05T17:25:00.002+01:00

Autumn hedgerow fruits and eaten leaf :) Aliz crimson, burnt sienna,'green', lemon yellow, cobalt blue. Arches HP.

Vandy Massey #88

2011-10-04T00:47:00.003+01:00

I decided to play with colours I would not normally think of as good partners. There's something a little discordant about the palette and yet I warm to it for some reason. I'm now debating whether to leave the flattened perspective so that the colour is the feature, or whether to add some depth to the trees.

Arches rough 380 x 310mm

Quin gold, opera rose, perylene maroon, cobalt blue.

Vandy Massey #87

2011-10-04T00:43:00.001+01:00

Arches smooth 230mm x 200mm

Gamboge, cobalt turquoise, viridian, Indigo and blue ink

Vandy Massey #86

2011-10-03T01:53:00.006+01:00

Arches smooth 170mm x 140mm

FUB, gamboge, sap green and prussian blue

Vandy Massey #85

2011-10-03T01:38:00.003+01:00

Arches smooth 235mm x 180mm

Going for fresh, green and alive while we still have such beautiful, but unseasonal, summer weather.

Gamboge, cobalt turquoise, viridian. And all the S's: Splattering, salt, sponging and scratching.

Maggie Latham #99

2011-10-01T07:46:00.001+01:00

©Maggie Latham 2011

6.25 x 11 inches of Arches 300gsm (140lb) cp. Not sure of the colours in this one as I painted it back in the summer, but it is a combination of direct brush techniques, surface blending, pouring and pencil shavings! My class and I had a lot of fun with these techniques!

Christy Lemp wash #61 #62

2011-09-30T22:15:00.004+01:00

some misty scenes from my Adirondack trip last weekend. It is quite a magical place and I'm trying to capture the feeling of the early morning mist. Used WN neutral tint with a bit of rose madder, very wet in wet.

jane minter wash # 89 # 90

2011-09-30T07:55:00.002+01:00

"acorns ii"

watercolour wash # 90

WIP 2 inital "wet in wet" washes with initial pencil sketch

"acorns i"

watercolour wash # 89

"wet in wet" no pencil small amount of glazing when dry of quin gold

joining you with a couple of small autumn washes /studies from life ... still very green here! ..transparent yellow , windsor blue, quin gold + raw umber W&N palettes 23 x 30.5 cm fabriano aristico

Maggie Latham #98

2011-09-29T05:44:00.003+01:00

©maggie Latham

Thought I would post the wash painting I painted last year for our blog which I used as the One Hundred Washes blog banner/ header. Can't remember the details of colours in this one, although it is around 8x12 inches in size, and was in spired by my childhood hometown marsh in Berkshire, where a I used to walk and sketch as a girl. Autumn, Winter and spring it is shrouded in mist.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 95

2011-09-28T17:09:00.000+01:00

Cobalt!

Playing with pigment left on my palette ... seemed a waste to wash it down the sink! There's a bit of shine on part of the sky because my flash kept going off. It's so sunny here I needed my blinds slghtly pulled in order to see!

Cobalt blue, cobalt turquoise, cobalt violet, indigo, paynes grey and a tad of cad yellow. Arches NOT.

Theresa Evans - Washes # 93 and # 94

2011-09-28T13:34:00.000+01:00


no. 93

no. 94

Two little washes on Arches NOT.

Gathering to migrate to warmer places (it's sweltering in the UK- why go?!!)

Cobalt blue, cobalt turquoise, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, tiny bit of aliz. crimson and paynes grey for birds. I added a lot of water in the trees - too much.

Maggie Latham #97

2011-09-26T18:42:00.005+01:00

I began the One Hundred Washes blog painting small washes, so thought I would end with some teeny-weenies too!.........7.5 x 2.5 inches on 90lb Arches CP paper.

I mixed this neutral from three primaries (Red, Yellow and Blue)…but which three?..... Painted on dry paper, but then wet into wet. It might be difficult to guess the three primaries because of the difference in monitors…but please have a go.

Maggie Latham #95 & #96

2011-09-26T07:22:00.003+01:00

Wash number 96 ©Maggie Latham 20111

Wash number 95 ©Maggie Latham 20111

These two paintings Number 95 & 96) .......6x6 inch......... demonstrate dry brush effects quite well. Neutral Tint and Light Red (both W&N artist grade tube colours) mixed both on the palette and left to mingle together on the surface while wet. I controlled value by the amount of water I used and lifted out the moon shape with a tissue while the sky was still wet. Painted in one wet while everything was still wet on dry paper, 140lb Arches CP.

Vandy Massey #84

2011-09-26T01:44:00.003+01:00

Just got a tube of indigo so it had to be brought out to play.

Arches rough - 380 x 260mm

Successive washes of indigo and sap green.

Vandy Massey #83

2011-09-26T01:39:00.002+01:00

Back to playing with textures. Arches smooth 180 x 370mm.

Late harvest - On holiday next to vineyard in France I noticed how the grapes were all starting to pucker and dry out.

Grapes: windsor violet, maroon, indigo, granulation medium

Leaves: sap green, quin gold, maroon

Vandy Massey #82

2011-09-26T01:32:00.004+01:00

Bockingford 380 x 200mm

Burnt umber, burnt sienna, FUB.

Thank you for your colour series, Maggie. What a great reference. All transparent colours in this one.

Suzanne Lindfield # 96, #97

2011-09-25T16:04:00.001+01:00

Wash 96 Inspired by Theresa's washes and the beautiful season - some chestnuts (strange shaped ones) in indian yellow, brown madder, burnt sienna and burnt umber on Arches CP 140lb paper.

Wash 97 abstract leaf shapes in indian yellow, brown madder, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and burnt umber on Arches 140lb CP paper.

jane minter wash # 88

2011-09-22T17:54:00.001+01:00

"books"

watercolour wash # 88

23 x 30,5 fabriano artistic 300g/m2

....work in progress to finish ... "wet in wet"

cyan + umb + yellow orche + raw umber

jane minter wash # 87

2011-09-21T17:38:00.002+01:00

WIP ii

WIP iii

wash # 87

HP 1/2 sheet

light red burnt + umber + raw sienna + umb

adding a few extra photos

WIP i

christy Lemp wash #58 #59 #60

2011-09-20T16:45:00.004+01:00

This is one of many studies I've been trying to get nightime reflections over the water. some are wet in wet, wet in dry, masking, scraping , lifting, etc. I will get it when I stop trying so hard! Eventually it 's supposed to be a lighted christmas tree on a pier at night.
the same view as below, working in color. wet in wet, letting layers dry and adding deeper colors with each pass.
Daytime reflection studies: I got some neutral tint and a nice sketch pen and having a lot of fun with that.

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 93 # 94 # 95 # 96

2011-09-20T08:03:00.000+01:00

I remember the time of seasons.

Vivaldi told me a story...

1/4 sheet - Arches torchon rough 140 lb

Well wich colors do you see in this ?

Theresa Evans - Wash # 92

2011-09-19T18:08:00.001+01:00

Windfall pear, wrinkly and starting to decay.

Quin gold, green gold, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue. Wet on dry, painted by dropping on colour then water, colour then water etc and allowing the pigments to mingle in puddles and dry naturally. Arches HP.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 91

2011-09-18T13:47:00.000+01:00

Conkers - drawn with brush wet on dry (Arches HP). Caput mortuum, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue. Lots of water!

Theresa Evans Washes # 89 and #90

2011-09-18T13:42:00.001+01:00

Autumn is already here. The leaves are turning early this year. I love autumn!!

No. 89.

Drawing with the brush (no pencil) is such fun. Yes, definitely a more wonky result but I prefer that :) Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, aliz. crimson and quin. gold. Wet on dry on Arches HP.

No.90.

Again, drawing freehand with brush. Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, caput mortuum. Wet on dry (Arches HP). I drew the white veins with clear water whilst the wash was still wet.

Suzanne Lindfield #92, #93,#94, #95

2011-09-16T18:45:00.002+01:00

Dreaming of tulips... This series is not particularly creative, but just going to back to basics and allowing the colours to blend on paper. I'm using the gifted paper and seeing what does what on the paper. Tulips were on my mind with these and as it's only the first wash, there will more to come :O)

All are indian yellow, alizarin crimson and turqouise + indian yellow mix.

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 92

2011-09-15T16:55:00.002+01:00

Pchhhhiiiiit wash in gladiola.

Pchhhhiiiiit !!

Perm magenta, vivid green, cobalt blue.

How to paint a pchhhhiiiiit wash .

Have fun !!!

Maggie Latham #94

2011-09-15T13:57:00.001+01:00

5 x11inches on Arches 140lb CP….

Lots and lots of glazes and wet into wet, wet on dry using mostly Quinn Red, Trans Yellow and Winsor Blue. It’s a bit overworked, but I had fun with the glazing!

jane minter wash # 86

2011-09-15T10:06:00.001+01:00

"olive"

watercolour wash # 86

indian yellow + colbalt turq + windsor blue +quin magenta

"wet in wet"

fabriano 300 g /m2

23 x 30,5cm

just finished the vintage here.... there are lots of olives ripening locally ...made a few sketches /washes from life .... i like how the single olive has started forming at the top

Maggie Latham #93

2011-09-14T20:20:00.001+01:00

Maggie Latham wash 93

Thought I would get back to what washes are all about for me for my last few washes to complete the challenge. These are all small scraps of paper cut from either the backs of failed paintings or the edges of larger paintings I have mounted. 140lb arches CP...

Each square is 4x4 inches, and I used mostly two colours for each little blended wash.

Wet on dry with enough water to turn it into a wet into wet. Any light areas were controlled by less pigment and more clean water.

All done quickly while I was watching a really bad programme on the television last night (loll)…not good for your back to hunch over the coffee table, though, with your cat dipping it’s paw in your mixing water! All different mixes of Quinn Red, Quinn Magenta, Trans Yellow, Winsor Yellow, Winsor Blue(g).

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 91

2011-09-11T14:42:00.000+01:00

Two gladiolas are fading together.

Perm magenta, yellow naples red, sap green, lemon yellow, cobalt blue deep.

All wet in wet without drawing. What do you think about thoses two gladiolas fading together ?

Last flowers of my bouquet.

Nine washes left, I can't believe that 91 washes are already painted girls !

jane minter wash # 85

2011-09-10T17:51:00.000+01:00

watercolour wash # 85

"japanese anemones"

initial watercolour wash

300g/m2

quin magenta + winsdor blue + transp yellow W&N

"wet in wet" + "wet in dry"

painting from life

.....need to catch up with you all :) we've been travelling alot in the last few weeks ..posting one of a few washes i painted recently when i was back in uk visiting my family ... i used "pans"- travelling set - not tubes of paint .

Maggie Latham #92

2011-09-05T20:56:00.004+01:00

10. X 6.5 inches on Arches 140lb CP block

Colours in sequence of glazes (wet on dry then into wet into wet) Antwerp Blue, Indigo, Cobalt Turquoise, Burnt Sienna, Quinn Magenta. As some of these colours are not transparent, it has become a trifle overdone I think, but still retains a little of the glow I was hoping for and lots of atmosphere...

This was an exercise in lots of layering and glazing. I had no plan, no real thought about anything when I began, just sky and water and seeing where these particular colours would lead me. I love working like this and find it inspirational, although not always with good results! I might have to start stretching my paper or going to 300lb, as the hills and valleys are showing through this one and leaving a pattern I don't care for.

Suzanne Lindfield #90 #91

2011-09-03T17:10:00.001+01:00

Wash 90!!!!

For this milestone I took out the Big Guns ... Arches 300lb rough paper, given by a friend. What a gift! I have never used it before, so there are lots to learn with this paper. Alizarin crimson, quin gold, turquoise and bits of it all mixed together. Wet-in-wet and wet-in-almost wet! I love the texture of the paper, it's interesting to see how the paint dries on it.

Wash #91 More Arches 300lb rough paper fun. This time I did a loose sketch of another painting. I liked the composition of the apples and wanted to see how it would on this paper.

Alizarin crimson + burnt umber mix, quin gold and quin gold + turquoise mix.

Suzanne Lindfield #88 #89

2011-09-03T17:03:00.001+01:00

Wash 89 Still on the fruit theme :O) A slice of nectarine in alizarin crimson and indian yellow mix, wet-in-wet on Arches 90lb paper.

Wash # 88 - delicate wash of turquoise, aureolin yellow and alizarin crimson, wet-in-wet and allowing the colours the mix. On Arches 90 lb paper.

Vandy Massey #81

2011-08-30T00:17:00.005+01:00

Gamboge, quin gold, cadmium orange, prussian blue, windsor violet, shavings of black watercolour pencil.

These last two paintings were an exercise in cropping after I spent some time playing with textures. My main 'discovery' was sheer serendipity. Lacking a straw to blow the paint through, I resorted to removing the inside of a bic-style pen and used the hard plastic tube to blow through instead. The tapering of the tube meant that I could blow with more pressure and getting the right angle actually sprayed the paint in thin strands off the line it was taking.

I think these spidery lines give the painting a dynamic feel and I rather like them.

Vandy Massey #80

2011-08-30T00:02:00.004+01:00

Hahnemuhle 140 lb

Gamboge, quin gold, cadmium orange, prussian blue, windsor violet, shavings of black watercolour pencil.

Suzanne Lindfield #86 # 87

2011-08-28T19:11:00.001+01:00

Wash #86 The Spice Girls ;O) Spice bottles, from l to r paprika, turmeric and garam masala. I used a wash of burnt umber for the bottles, wet-in-wet and alizarin crimson + brown madder mix for paprika, indian yellow + burnt umber mix for turmeric and lastly burnt umber for garam masala. All wet-in-wet then just added some details when dry.

Wash #87 Water Bottle - prussian blue and burnt umber all wet-in-wet.

Both wahes on Arches 140lb cp paper.

Suzanne Lindfield #85

2011-08-28T17:50:00.001+01:00

Wash 85 - more beetroot :O) Alizarin crimson, prussian blue and quinacridone gold painted wet-in-wet. The wet-in-dry for a second stage with the same colours,but painted into the negative space.

Arches 140lb cp paper.

Thank you for comments on the tape - I had to use a sharp blade to get the stuff off. But I had to leave it on the paper as it would tear when I tried to take it off. Nasty tape.

christy Lemp wash #53 #54 #55 #56 #57

2011-08-28T17:45:00.005+01:00

Just had a 3 day flower painting workshop with Annelein Beukenkamp in Vermont. she is a terrific hard working teacher and I picked up a lot of tips. Here are some works from there. She also has a nice blog and is very inspiring, not to mention a really cool upcoming job teaching painting on a cruise ship!

#53 poppies scarlet lake, winsor orange
#54 peonies -quin magenta, rose madder, alizarin for the pinks
#55 lilies
#56 glads-cobalt violet and opera pink
#57 crazy looking piece that is a study in progressive layers of color, drying in between each color

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 87 # 88 # 89 # 90

2011-08-26T22:25:00.001+01:00

Watching the trees vanish.

# 87

# 88

# 89

# 90

They fade slowly into the twilight .

29 cm x37 cm

11.41 " x14.56 "

Arches grain torchon 300 g

All painted with the same color sheme : winsor orange, lemon yellow, perm. magenta, van dyke brown, sap green, light turq.

Suzanne Lindfield wash # 84

2011-08-23T09:09:00.001+01:00

Beetroot from the garden!
Wash #84 mix alizarin crimson + prussian blue, and quinacridone gold + prussian blue mix wet-in-wet on Arches 140lb paper. Then same colours again wet-in-dry.

Help wanted! I used brown tacky tape to hold the paper to the support. It did a terrific job. Too terrific a job because now I can't get it off without tearing the paper! It's the type that is wetted before applying then allowed dry on the paper. Can anyone help how to remove the stuff?

Suzanne Lindfield wash 83

2011-08-23T09:04:00.001+01:00

Wash #83 mix alizarin crimson + prussian blue, wet-in-wet, then while drying I added a few brushstrokes with clear water. When dry I went inagain with some details wet-in-dry.

Inspired by a raddichio leaf!

Arches 140 lb paper

Suzanne Lindfield # 82

2011-08-23T09:02:00.001+01:00

Wash # 82 started off its life as a loose wash of quinacridone gold, cadmiuim red deep and a few drops of a mix of cadmiuim red deep and prussian blue, all wet-in-wet to blend the colours. Then the two delicious nectarines I was eating while waiting for the wash to dry inspired me to finish it with them as its subject!
Its amazing how doing these washes have helped to loosen up my techniques and not care too much about how it ends up. Thereby I can let the creative process take over, such fun!
Arches 140lb cp paper.

Vandy Massey #79

2011-08-22T02:36:00.003+01:00

Bockingford 140lb.

FUB, burnt sienna, ochre.

Textured with twisted tissue blotting and clingfilm.

Vandy Massey #78

2011-08-22T02:30:00.003+01:00

Gamboge, burnt umber, burnt sienna, cobolt, FUB.

Shaved watercolour pencil - black.

Tissue blotting to create texture in the sky.

Vandy Massey #77

2011-08-21T16:16:00.003+01:00

Bockingford 140lb

Gamboge cadmium orange, perylene maroon, windsor violet, windsor blue.

Vandy Massey #76

2011-08-16T02:48:00.003+01:00

Every time I see the little red poppies scattered across fields of grain crops, I have the urge to paint them.

This one is still at it's first stage. I'll need to add a couple more layers, but I'm spending some time enjoying the colours in this before I continue with it. The exact shapes haven't crystallised for me yet. I can however, see a few tiny butterflies may be required somewhere in here.

Bockingford 230 x 370

Gamboge, sap green, quin gold, alizarin and prussian blue.

Vandy Massey #75

2011-08-16T02:15:00.002+01:00

Getting more comfortable with Arches smooth. Size: 210 x 350

Gamboge, sap green, burnt sienna (although I think something has gone a bit pear-shaped with my burnt sienna. It went completely grainy. Probably needs replacing as it is fairly old).

Painted in 2 successive glazes, with salt at each level to give some grass-head textures.

Used prussian blue with a No 2 brush for a bit of definition right at the end.

Vandy Massey #74

2011-08-16T02:04:00.004+01:00

The weather has been so nice, we've been taking a walk down to the river every day the past couple of weeks. Picked a variety of grasses along the way and my studio is now festooned with them. They needed to be painted.

Bockingford 190 x 330

Gamboge, raw ochre, viridian

Suzanne Lindfield #80

2011-08-15T17:15:00.001+01:00

Wash 80! Yay!

This was a fun exercise in loosening up with a bunch of vine tomatoes. I was going to just post the first wash, but was having fun as it was drying so I kept going!

Wet-in-wet wash with cadmium red deep and quinacridone gold, then same colours again wet-in-dry to detail some areas. Finally a mix of prussian blue and indian yellow for the vine detail. Watercolour on Arches cp 140lb paper.

Suzanne Lindfield #79

2011-08-14T17:24:00.001+01:00

Wash 79 for a dog-rose. Indian yellow, quinacridone gold and prussian blue painted wet-in-wet on Arches cp 140lb paper.While drying, I dapped some areas with a tissue to create some texture for foliage. It measures approx 30cm by 12cm, so an unusual format.

Suzanne Lindfield #78

2011-08-14T17:21:00.002+01:00

Wash 78 -quite a small one, measuring approx 12cm x 15cm. Cadmium red deep, indian yellow and prussian blue painted wet-in-dry then, with the help with of my new-best-friend the Flower Spray, I let the colours run at the sides. Cotman cp paper 140 lb.

Suzanne Lindfield #77

2011-08-14T17:16:00.001+01:00

Wash 77 - stage 1 Cadmium red deep, indian yellow and prussian blue wet-in-wet on Araches 140lb cp paper.

Wash 77 stage 2, left to dry than painting some mystery shapes wet-tin-dry using the same colours.

Suzanne Lindfield #76

2011-08-14T17:13:00.001+01:00

Wash #76 Stage 1 Cadmium red deep and indian yellow, wet-in-wet on Arches cl 140 lb paper.

Wash 76# stage 2 - flipped over into portrait format and added some mysery flowers in cadmium red deep and mix indian yellow and prussian blue.

Suzanne Lindfield #75

2011-08-14T17:10:00.001+01:00

I find red a difficult pigment to work with in watercolour - it's difficult enough to get the right red (not too pinky, not too browny) but getting the pigment to run with the water always gives me grief! When it's dried, it often looks chalky too.

Well enough complaining, my next few washes are devoted to red, a colour I normally love!

Cadmium red, indian yellow and prussian blue painted wet-in-wet and wet-in-damp on Arches 140lb paper.

Theresa Evans - Wash # 88

2011-08-13T17:50:00.000+01:00

Experimenting with including some specific plant forms in the wash. I masked out the hogweed shape and applied the random washes as before using green, paynes grey and lemon yellow, clean water and salt.

After it all dried, I removed the masking and ran some colour in and around the hogweed to take away the 'stakness' and blend it into the surrounding grasses.

I quite like the effect - I'll use it :)

Theresa Evans - Wash # 86 & #87

2011-08-13T17:43:00.000+01:00

#86

More grass texture experiments ....

Both using indigo, 'green' (White Knights), lemon yellow, cobalt violet, salt.

#87

I think this as 'tangled' as I want to go to achieve the effects I'm after in my meadow paintings. I painted on the green and indigo in vertical, random brushmarks plus clean water. I then dropped in salt and allowed to dry completely. Next I painted a random, weak wash of lemon yellow into some of the areas whited out by the salt. Finally a spattering of cobalt violet.

Close -up of textures in wash #87. Click to make larger.

Maggie Latham #91

2011-08-12T11:27:00.003+01:00

6x9 inches on Arches 140lb CP paper.....
Absolutely no idea of which colours I used as it was painted back in the spring, but possibly Cad Orange and Winsor Violet…

This one is for Theresa..... to show how I incorporate watercolour pencil shavings in loose floral work.

Explanation Of watercolour Pencil Shaving Technique:

Your wash has to be still wet, but not sopping wet, and it's best to hold a small piece of sand paper in your left hand (presuming you are right handed) quite close to your painting surface... then rub your watercolour pencil point quickly and deliberately over the sand paper from underneath letting the ‘dust’ settle onto your wet wash. I find it best to have my painting flat while doing this and this is the last technique before I let that particular layer of the painting dry. As this layer dries, the particles kind of float to the surface of the pigmented wash and dry as part of the wash.

This technique creates softness and a diffused kind of effect, which can be achieved in no other way. I first saw this explained by Shirley Trevena who combines various techniques in her paintings, although several leading watercolourists use this technique to create some amazing effects. I have successfully glazed over pencil shavings when they are completely dry for additional effects. It’s fun, but a little goes a long way!

Maggie Latham #90

2011-08-10T07:13:00.004+01:00

6x11 inches 140lb Arches CP

More pushing textures…masking tape, masking fluid, direct painting, negative painting, splattering, wet into wet, pouring, watercolour pencil shavings..... etc…. Winsor blue, Winsor Yellow Deep, Cad Lemon, Quinn Magenta, Winsor Violet...

This was the way up it was painted!

Maggie Latham #89

2011-08-10T07:11:00.001+01:00

6x11 inches 140lb Arches CP

Lots of masking, pouring, direct painting…. just randomly playing with techniques.

Winsor Blue, Quinn magenta, Indian Yellow, Cad Lemon, plus watercolour pencil shavings in purple and orange and white.....

Maggie Latham #88

2011-08-09T19:28:00.004+01:00

This knitted jacket was painted some time ago, but I thought I would post it because Dee left this comment "Well, that's a departure! Just love it! When does it go into production? Nice work ..." on my recent summer dress painting (Maggie's post 86). I often paint clothes, especially like this cardigan, which I knitted myself.....

This had numerous washes of the same colours in thin glazes and was built up over a series of days. Can’t recall the colours right now as it was painted some time ago.

If you enjoy the process of painting, you can make anything or any object fun to paint in your own unique way. …Your wardrobe is so much fun to paint and a good way to learn brush control as well as building up loose washes.

Maggie Latham #87

2011-08-09T11:55:00.001+01:00

Two 6x6 inch squares on Arches 140lb CP

Texturizing Fun! Lots of colours, but mainly Winsor Blue, Quinn Magenta and Winsor Lemon…

Maggie Latham #86

2011-08-09T11:51:00.000+01:00

4.5x9.5 inches on Arches 140lb CP

Something fun, Winsor Lemon, Cad Lemon, Quinn Magenta, Neutral tint, FUB

Theresa Evans - Wash # 85

2011-08-08T18:13:00.001+01:00

Next wash stage .. Meadow Painting 1 ...

OK, I'm just feeling my way with this .... I added a wash of cobalt blue with a touch of paynes grey to the edges and to the top of the tree canopy to accentuate a path of light. I then brushed some aliz. crimson and cobalt violet into selective lighter areas to suggest those tall pink weeds that are everywhere in the UK at this time of year. Anyone know what they are called?

I think I prefer this before I 'fiddled' but I'm going to continue developing it until to explore what I can and can't do with this kind of multiwash painting. I can then take the experiment and start over.

Close-up of the 'weed' wash area .... (click for a bigger view).

Theresa Evans - Wash # 84

2011-08-08T16:08:00.000+01:00

Meadow Painting no. 1 - initial washes.

I'm working on a series of 'meadow paintings' to see what effects I can achieve without getting too 'literal'. This is the first one. The initial washes in the trees and field area are White Nights 'green' (I recommend getting some of that), paynes grey and lemon yellow. Wet on dry, lots of water and then salt and some blowing with a straw in the field. The tree trunks and branches painted freehand with paynes grey.

I quite like some of the effects happening here but now watch how I ruin it!! lol

Olivia QUINTIN Wash # 86

2011-08-08T14:04:00.000+01:00

Dance, jump, fall.

Help !

He took the power of watercolor !

In those experiment, I tried to use wash to translate movement of the human body : dance, jump, fall.

Perm rose, vivid green, sap green, cobalt blue deep, indigo.

Arches rough 140 lb

Vandy Massey #73

2011-08-08T00:58:00.003+01:00

Hahnemuhle 305 x 305

Opera rose, alizarin, windsor violet.

Details in leaf green, hooker dark and paynes grey.