Artists United: Robin Step by Step Stage 2

Robin 

Step by Step Stage 2

Adding the red chest and wing, plus a branch to sit on

Okay I will admit that the eye was the easy bit but for some of you far too easy and possibly a little bit boring! So now  we are going to have some originality and excitement about adding colour to the robin.

Before you have a heart attack or imagine the next stage is really difficult, read what I am about to say!

Before you touch the paper with your next brushstroke I want you to close your eyes and imagine you are looking at a real robin. On a cold winter day. The feathers could be fluffed up against the cold and if you notice that chest isn't really red in colour is it? It is more of an orange. But  for some reason as a child I always called them robin redbreasts!

Anyway lets move on and add more colour now.

 Working away  from a starting point!

Painting the red section. The eye was your starting point . Now  slowly  work around the eye with Alizarin Crimson and drop a touch of cadmium Orange into the new wet section to allow the pigments  to merge and give you a softer red/ornage appearance. Work VERY slowly at first around the eye then bring this soft red colour  downwards  to form the chest section.

TIP: Keep the colour very soft as the subject is soft and could fly away.

Painting the head and wing. Now use a soft brown shade and add a hint of colour the top of the head . Next, hint at one wing too in the same colour. 

 If you bleed the edegs with a damp burhs loaded with clean water you will get a beautiful looseness  that creates a feeling of movement and life in your results.

I have added a touch of cerulean blue  at the under belly area 

Using a deeper shade of the same brown I added a twig for my robin to sit on. I allowed colour  to run from the body to the twig to form one leg!

Use your imagination on where to place your twig or branch so that your painting is original!

This is supposed to be fun so please smile while you are painting!

Artists United: Robin Step by Step Stage 1. The Eye!

Robin

Stage 1.

So easy  that everyone can do it!

With this painting we are going to work from a starting point and that may sound very easy but its important to choose where to place your first mark! The whole robin will have to fit around it so please don't place the eye to close to the edge of the paper!

I have used French Ultramarine Blue . Artists from my workshops will know I NEVER use black as I find that kills  the life in my work!

I have made a small circle  shape leaving a tiny white area of paper showing for the highlight of the eye.

Now let this dry completely and  be really proud of yourself for making that first step to helping a worthwhile charity!

Artists United : Robin Step by Step

Robin in Watercolour

Step by Step in aid of Cancer Charities

I know I have blog readers from all over the world so how about you choose the cancer charity of your choice if you follow this step by step.

Here is mine.

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/ 

Step by Step Robin in Watercolour. 

To take part in this step by step you need to feel happy about painting because you are aiming at helping others. 

Step 1. Choose a cancer charity of your choice before you pick up a brush please! 

Step 2.  Materials

You will need white paper, at least 140lbs in weight.

Watercolours : Alizarin Crimson ,Cerulean Blue,Cadmium Orange, Burnt Umber, Winsor Violet and French Ultrmarine Blue

Palette to put these colours on

A size 10 watercolour brush ( sable like mine is best)

A water pot full of clean fresh water.

Lets' go! 

Step 3. Share this blog post on Twitter, Facebook and your blog and get everyone you know painting robins for C , remembering that the letter C isn't just for Christmas!

C you in my next blog post! 

I will try to share my favourite robins painted by you on my blog so please join in and let me know what charity you are helping and why with this idea!

That Time of Year

Robin in progress

I am sure everyone reading my blog expected me to say that it is that time of year again when we think about Christmas. Wrong! Last night was the annual Children In Need event and people raised over twenty six million pounds to help children. Celebrities and non celebrities joined forces in a superb effort to raise smiles while working  towards one goal. Improving the lives of youngsters. I cried, smiled laughed and without a doubt  realised how lucky I and my family are and have been.

One little girl on this years Children In Need show caught my attention and touched my heart. She has cancer and is so inspirationally brave. I wondered how on earth I could help a child like her who should never have to suffer in the way that she has. Maybe you, as a reader of my blog, could help me.

What if we all painted a robin, red being the colour of love and donated it in any way we can so that the funds raised can go to a cancer Charity? What do you think?

So my next blog post is how to paint a robin. My free step by step to you, but you must promise me to either teach the painting to others and raise funds in an art class or sell your robin painting in aid of a cancer charity.

By uniting  for Children in Need so much was gained.

Lets unite with our  paintbrushes!

Picturecraft Gallery, Exhibition in Holt,Norfolk

A collection of my cockerels in watercolour can be seen at the SWA, Society of Women Artists exhibition at the

Picturecraft Gallery in Holt , Norwich.

 From 9th November to  21st  November 2012

For full details please  see this link

http://www.picturecraftgallery.com/index.php

Copies of my latest book "Atmospheric Watercolours" and  the latest designs of my cockerel Greeting Cards are also available at the gallery

Not Just a Moggie

"Not Just a Moggie"

From a recent Art Society Demonstration

Cats are obviously very popular subjects because at every single workshop recently I have been asked to demonstrate them, and on more than one occasion. And on top of that, at the moment, I don't have a single painting of a cat in a gallery as they have all sold out!

My own cats are deliberately trying to distract me from my painting today so it only seemed right to share this demonstration. The eye is really standing out in colour against the ginger colouring of the fur. There is already an expressive look on the face. The animal almost seems impatient for me to finish painting them.

Artists tip: If you are painting animals please try to capture their character as well as their apearance. It makes such a difference. This one is definitely " Not Just a Moggie!"

Sunningdale Art Society Workshop 2012

Victoria Plums WIP

It  is quite funny how my botanical past is catching up with me on recent workshops. In New York I demonstrated how to paint damsons in a "one on one" session with an artist on my workshop there . I loved the very quick demonstration which led to a finished painting in minutes.

Last Saturday I made my way towards Ascot and the Sunningdale Art Society where I was the invited guest artist to give a weekend workshop. I had a fabulous time meting and talking to members there. I started the day with my usual workshop opening and then by the afternoon everyone was raring to go on their own individual subjects. There was just about everything you could think of  as a subject from a nude, a red squirrel, autumn leaves, dogs, cats and flowers.  I loved the variety in the room and one of my favourite demonstrations was the branch of Victoria plums above which even as a half finished piece looks fascinating due to the selection of colour and form.

I do so love visting so many art societies and I am so  lucky to be continually invited back. This was my second visit to Sunningdale and I have just opened a wonderful email asking me back for a third time!

To all the members who came, I hope you are  having a ball painting and don't ever forget to be unique!

Best wishes

Jean