Friday, March 28, 2008

Lovely spring tulips to view

Easter Flowers, Fresh, Oil and Watercolor sketch Easter Flowers - Fresh Tulips, Oil Painting and Watercolor sketch

The first of these three photo's is the original fresh tulips our daughter and family brought when they came on Easter to spend the day with us . I always feel so artistic / creative when I'm around fresh flowers. The next day with my oil paints (and timer) I painted this (the second photo) oil painting, hoping to capture the beautiful colors of the flowers in one hour. The canvas was some that I had left over from a previous painting project so it is an odd size at 8 5/8" x 3 5/8". Then yesterday I saw the petals were drooping a little more and realized that soon they would be just a memory, so I grabbed my sketchbook and watercolors for one last try at capturing the beauty of them , photo #3.
Recently I've been reading and seeing all the vibrant watercolors Schmincke has to offer. I think next time I'm at the art supply store I'll pick up a couple of tubes to try out. The watercolors I use (Winsor & Newton, Da Vinci, and American Journey)are so dull compared to the Schmincke watercolors I've seen ... although if used alone, with out doing any mixing, my watercolors do have some sparkle to them. Do any of you have a favorite brand of watercolors that you prefer to use or recommend?

13 comments:

  1. Nancy!! These are BEAUTIFUL!!! I truly cannot decide which of them I love -- the oils are vibrant -- and yet the watercolors are so filled with energy ... I LOVE them all!!! FABULOUS job !!! And to do that oil in less than an hour -- I'm mightily IMPRESSED!

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  2. What lovely watercolors! Thanks for stopping by my blog, too. I started selling so many more cards when I started to put them in a card rack and box them nicely, it was amazing! Schminke watercolors are awesome--very intense! The first time I used them (I was a die hard Winsor Newton girl) I was just blown away--it was like learning to paint all over again. Have fun and treat yourself. I'll be back to see what you're up to.

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  3. Thank you Lin, you always say the nicest things. The three of the photo's together really add some color to the blog don't they? I'm still enjoying the process of learning with the oils, so I'll continue giving them a try.

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  4. Hi Mary, Thanks for the heads-up about the Schminke watercolors. I'm really anxious to see how these paint. I'll just buy a tube of my favorite colors here and there when I go into town. Thank you so much for your in-put on the Schminke paints ... now I truely am anxious to try them.

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  5. Beautiful, Nancy! The three together are beautiful, but I sort of wish I could see your paintings larger. I've been trying to work with a small box of Schminke colors lately, but the trouble is that I get scared of the intensity and either lighten them up too much (they lose a lot when dry)or mix them up and make mud. I've been told that I probaly need a few more colors to really see what they can do.

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  6. Gorgeous Nancy!

    W/N person but like to try 'em all.
    Schminke is good, especially the gold for lettering!

    V

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  7. I was surprised that the middle picture was painted in oils. It glows just like watercolor. I wish it was a bigger image. I have a 25-year old set of Schminckes and I recall they did seem quite vibrant but I replaced several of colors so I'm not sure what's what any more. I've definitely been tempted to try some tubes but they're so expensive and since I already have plenty of watercolors, decided to wait until I need to replace a color.

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  8. Thank you Casey, Victoria and Jana for stopping by. I see now that all the images could have been larger. I'll try to remember that when I post a painting again. I understand what you mean Casey about getting scared of the intensity.

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  9. Gorgeous work, Nancy. The oils, especially, are rich and wonderful!

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  10. I always think that watercolor is a more difficult medium than oils. You did a great job with it. Yes, it is great to be around flowers. I think I should try Schminke at least for flowers and landscapes. Thanks.

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  11. Hi Nancy
    Hope all is well with you. You must be taking a break from posting also. Breaks are good.

    I like the Daniel Smith watercolors. I've not tried the Schminke brand only their gouache which is real nice.
    Your oil painting of the tulips is vibrant and fresh. Love the lighting in the painting.

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  12. both your oil and watercolour look beautiful Nancy. Each medium just has its own beauty! In watercolour, I enjoy W& N and I sometimes use Schmincke, it depends on the subject. I find the schmincke is sometimes too strong.
    ronell

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  13. I'm wondering which of Schminke's colors are the most transparent? I've had my WNs for 20 years and could treat myself also. Keep up the good work Nancy!

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