LOADS OF VIEWS, REVIEWS & EVENTS |
I’m so glad you could join me for the February issue of The Wheelbarrow! I just got back from a teaching trip in Tucson, Arizona, and I’m excited to share a few of my sketchbook pages, along with some of my sketching tools.
If you live in a colder climate, like I do, you’re probably spending more time sketching indoors these days. For me, this is usually the best time to experiment with paint colours languishing in the back of a drawer, or read books I bought on my travels but never found time to crack open. Well, here’s the time. You’ll find out about all these subjects below.
By now, you may have noticed that my newsletter looks a little different. That’s because I recently changed the online platform for The Wheelbarrow to one that, I hope, will eventually save me time — time I can use to sketch and paint. Nevertheless, I’ve tried to keep the style and spirit of The Wheelbarrow intact.
With sunshine and warmer weather on the way (or so they tell me), my wheelbarrows will soon be shedding their little coats of snow, and I’ll be venturing out more often. Meanwhile, I hope you find a bit of time to be creative every day, to try out new tools, and to crack open your favourite books.
Shari Blaukopf
Cerulean Blue
I don’t think I could paint without Cerulean Blue. Across all my palettes — from the most severely limited to the most comprehensive — Cerulean Blue has a permanent spot. I use it on its own for skies; in combination with red and yellow for soft grey washes; and mixed with Raw Sienna or Naples Yellow to achieve the grayish blue of agave or hosta plants.
The Winsor & Newton Cerulean Blue I’ve been using for years is quite granulating (sample #1, above), which at times can be distracting, so lately I’ve been experimenting with other brands. Keep in mind that colours with identical names won’t look the same on paper, so making swatches like these helps a lot. I painted them on a scrap of Fabriano CP 140lb paper.
Cerulean Blue Red Shade (#2), also from Winsor & Newton, is a deeper blue and has reddish undertones. I find it quite pleasing and the granulation is less distracting, so I’ve been using it more often, especially for winter scenes.
Daniel Smith Cerulean Blue (#3) is another good alternative. They also make Cerulean Blue Chromium (#4), which is deeper and cooler, similar to Cerulean Blue Red Shade. Again, of the two tubes by this manufacturer, I prefer the cooler one with the reddish undertones.
Some time ago I watched a live Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour demo with the accomplished Canadian painter Christopher Gorey. On his materials list I noticed that he uses Cerulean Blue Hue (#5) from Da Vinci. I love the way he paints skies, so of course I ordered a tube. (If you’re wondering what “hue” means in reference to paint, the best explanation is on Cheap Joe’s website.)
The Da Vinci pigment is made from Phthalo Blue and Titanium White, so it’s non-granulating and just perfect for bright blue skies like the ones I painted this month in Arizona. It was particularly fitting (see below) for surrounding and thereby enhancing the bright white towers of San Xavier del Bac Mission.
My final swatch is Cerulean Blue (#6) from Italian manufacturer MaimeriBlu, which I painted from a dot card I had on hand. I find it similar to Cerulean Blue Red Shade and Cerulean Blue Chromium but less granulating. So, who knows, I may invest in an actual tube at some later date.
If you rummaged through the many drawing tools in my sketch bag, you’d eventually find a few water-soluble pens. These are invaluable whenever I want to quickly add a bit of tone to a monochrome sketch, without having to pull out a larger kit.
Truth is, I’m always trying out new pens from the art store. But before I jump into a sketching situation, it’s important to know in advance how much ink is released as I wet the ink lines. So I make a few tests, as I did here (the top paint tube is the “before,” the bottom tube “after” wetting).
Some of these pens are quite pigmented, so I add water judiciously, using a smallish waterbrush, otherwise I’ll end up with a big black blob.
And now, one of these pens in action: On my teaching trips to Tanque Verde Ranch near Tucson, I’ve come to cherish the moments I get to sketch the horses. I sketched these, with my students, using a Fountain Pentel pen.
Below are the pens currently in my bag:
Fountain Pentel JM20, Pilot Fineliner, Pilot Varsity, Pentel Brush Sign Pen
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Sketching Outdoors
Discover the Joy of Painting Outside
by Barry Herniman
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In The Wheelbarrow I often review older books that have taken long residence on my shelf, or ones I’ve discovered in used bookstores. They’re often out of print. But here’s a new one that caught my eye in Sherman’s Book Store in Bar Harbor, Maine. Sketching Outdoors: Discover the Joy of Painting Outside by Barry Herniman is, as the title suggests, so filled with joy that as soon as I pick it up, I’m inspired to get out and paint.
This book is packed with Herniman’s colourful sketches, both from his travels and from locations near his home in the UK. Like me, he’s a strong believer in plein air, and covers a wide range of subjects, from townscapes, architecture and interiors to night scenes, landscapes and riverfronts in every season. His pages are filled with solid and practical advice, alongside plenty of step-by-step demos in pen and ink, watercolour, watercolour pencils and gouache.
Although it hasn’t been resident on my bookshelf long, I find myself picking up Sketching Outdoors often, especially when I haven’t drawn in a while and need a little inspirational boost to get me going. I have a strong feeling that when you pick it up, you’ll agree.
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French Alps
Join me as we sketch alpine meadows, cobblestoned villages, waterfalls, glaciated peaks and wildflowers!
June 11-18, 2025
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My Essential Watercolour Palette
This new 40-minute video distills my years of experience as a watercolour painter, sketcher and instructor into a set of easy-to-follow guidelines for choosing the best colours for your travel and studio palettes. (It might also save you money!)
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American Watercolor Society 157th Annual International Exhibition
April 2-26, 2024
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It’s always nice to receive an email that starts with “Dear artist, We are pleased to inform you that your work has been accepted…” But this one was particularly sweet, as it announced that my painting “Low Tide Yacht Club” had been juried into the American Watercolor Society’s 157th Annual International Exhibition. Since this is my third painting in the show, AWS has granted me Signature status — which, I have to admit, I’ve been dreaming about since I first picked up a watercolour brush many years ago. And so, a trip to NYC is well in order and already scheduled! That way, I can see the entire show, which is held annually at the handsome and historic Salmagundi Club from April 2 – 26, 2024. Many thanks to the jurors and organizers of the show and congrats to all the selected artists!
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Here & Now 2023 CSPWC Members
Online Exhibition
until February 28, 2024
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I am truly honoured to have had three paintings accepted in this show, including “Hidalgo 1” (above), which won the Endeavors Think/Play award. Once again, many thanks to the organizers, jurors and sponsors, on whom we rely to celebrate and promote the work of all watercolour artists.
Thanks for reading.
