Struggling To Find His Footing
gouache portrait painting by Katie Jeanne Wood
Available here
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Mixed Media Artist - daily painter of portraits, flowers, abstracts and birds
Soldiering On
Gouache portrait painting
WIP
Work in progress
I wish I hadn’t been in a rush to “fix” the blooming gouache in this portrait. Looking at the progress shots now, I prefer his eyebrow the way it was, but I guess I didn’t see how cool it looked as I was painting.
Soldiering On
Available here
Oh, well. I guess I was in a “tighter, less loose” frame of mind when I was painting this one. I like the finished piece, but I like the progress shots better. It happens. After all these years, I sometimes don’t know when to hit the pause button when I’m painting.
If I was able to relive the moment his eyebrow bloomed once again, I would stop dead in my tracks, let it dry, and then make some slight adjustments. That’s all it really needed.
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WIP gouache portrait painting
I’ve said it a million times in the past few months, but I LOVE painting with gouache. I have no idea why it took me so long to fall in love with it. I mean, what’s there not to love about it?
My hands, and clothes stay so much cleaner than when I’m working with acrylics. When I get gouache on my hands, I can easily wipe it off with a paper towel, and keep painting. Try doing this with acrylics, and it smudges all over the place, sticks to my hands, and leaves behind paint smears on everything I touch.
Acrylics usually don’t come off until I give my hands a good scrub under running water, and even then it’s difficult to wash off. I don’t miss walking around with paint stuck to my nails or skin for days because I can’t get it washed off without rubbing my skin raw.
I also haven’t had to throw a paint brush away since I started painting with gouache. If I forget to clean a brush, it’s no big deal. A little swirl in water, and I’m back in business.
Speaking of brushes, gouache isn’t nearly as hard on brushes as acrylics or oils. The bristles don’t get little bits of dried paint on them, making it difficult to use.
I’ve been using the same brushes every night for months, and they look like I’ve just taken them out of the package. My old paint brushes have dried acrylic paint all over the handles. I didn’t notice this before, but I definitely do now.
Clean up is faster, too. I just quickly rinse the brushes off in the sink when I’m finished painting, and leave them bristle side up to dry in my emptied water container. The bristles don’t get all wonky shaped.
I also never have to change into paint clothes before I paint anymore. Acrylics don’t wash out of clothes, and for years, I walked around looking like a splattered paint mess every day. I now can wear brand new clothes when I’m painting, and don’t have any worries about accidentally dropping a blob of paint on my pants. If I do, it will wash out easily enough.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been showing more work in progress shots here on my blog. It’s all thanks to gouache. I no longer have to be so careful about handling my phone when I’m painting. If I do happen to get gouache on my phone case or screen, it easily wipes off.
I also don’t think I’ll ever get tired of being able to mix up a tray of gouache, and not have to constantly think about using it all up in one sitting, like I do with acrylics.
All I have to do is re-wet my gouache palette, and continue where I left off last time. There is no waste, no scraping dried paint off my palette or tabletop. I have thrown away/wasted so much acrylic & oil paint in the past. After years of putting up with the inconvenience of using acrylics, it’s no surprise to me that gouache is my favorite to paint with these days.
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Purchase original art through me, and get free shipping.
You can message me here.
Other places to find me online.
Follow me on IG for The 100 Day Project.
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Mixed media art journal portrait painting
WIP
My bestie Wanda and I were chatting the other day about doing another collab together. I’m sooo excited!
Maybe like 8 or 10 years ago we did an art journal collab together. Soooo fun!! We passed our art journals back & forth through the mail for months. Both of us got to keep a journal when we were finished.
I told her I don’t remember anymore what the journal she kept looks like, but I sure do remember the feeling of making it. It was a special time that I’ll never forget, and now we get to do it again. YAY!!
I love me some Wanda art, so I can’t wait to get started. 🙂
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Purchase original art through me, and get free shipping.
I also sell originals & prints on eBay and Etsy – shipping isn’t free on these sites because of the high cost of fees & ads.
You can message me here.
Other places to find me online.
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I wanted to do something about a really optimistic character: a character who was so optimistic, no one could burst her bubble.
Amy Heckerling
Gouache portrait painting
on 140 lb paper
For over a month, I thought this portrait was finished. I took photos to list it, scanned it for prints, edited the scan in Photoshop, and the whole nine yards.
As I was setting up this post last week, I was looking at photos of the painting with a fresh eye, and I saw things I wanted to change. So, last night, I went back in, and touched up here and there. Nothing drastic, but the painting’s changed, and I have to start the photo & scanning process all over again. I won’t have time to get it done before this post goes out tonight because I have orders to pack and ship. More soon.
Have you heard of the 100 day project, which starts on Feb 18th? The “rules” are loose, and sound doable. If you’re interested, there is a FAQ page here. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to join in.
Inside The Sketchbook of Adebanji Alade
7 tips for the self-taught artist
Artists I’m admiring:
Adam & Andrea Clague – husband & wife who both make amazing artwork
Becca Brown – LOVE her work
This flower painting by Lisa Daria – so pretty!
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Painting a man portrait with gouache
WIP
I’ve never known whether I’m pronouncing gouache right or not? I’ve always called it “g’wash”, with a hard g sound, kinda like the Aussies say “G’day!” (Ooooh, how I love their accent).
I’ve also heard some artists on Youtube call it goo-ah-sh, tho. It’s confused me for years, so I finally looked it up.
I found out both ways of saying gouache are correct. I might start alternating between both pronunciations because it’s fun to say either way. 🙂
This painting looked like a hot mess throughout the whole process. This can look and feel a bit intimidating if you’re a new artist. The “ugly stage” used to scare me, but I don’t even notice or think about it these days.
I was still trying to work out the light & dark areas at this point in the painting. Once I get that part figured out, I move on to the details, and connecting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
The finished painting usually comes together quickly for me. Once I get done fiddling with the light and dark areas, and figure out what colors I’m using, I know it’s just a matter of an hour or two before it’s complete.
Bearded Wisdom
I finished the background with a deep red oil pastel. I don’t have the original listed yet. I’m waiting for the oil pastel to firm up a bit before I varnish it, but I was able to scan it, and giclee art prints are available. There are many sizes to choose from to fit your wall space.
Giclee prints are made to order from a professional printing company, and will arrive to you unframed. This photo is just to give you an idea of what it looks like framed. It will depend on the size you choose whether or not the print will be shipped flat or rolled.
If you’re interested in purchasing the original painting, please contact me or watch for it in my online shop. The size is 9×12 inches, and it’s on 135 lb paper. The price will be $125, and include shipping if purchased through my website.
If you’d like to know more about painting with gouache, visit the links below.
How to Paint a Portrait in Gouache | Step by Step! by Emily Hughes – I love this painting!
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Gouache
What Is Gouache Paint? And How to Use It
Stay creative!
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Pink abstract painting
WIP
Lately I’ve been in a purging mode because I want to bring positive change into my life. I started looking around, and have begun weeding out stuff that no longer serves me as well as it used to.
I started by cancelling Netflix about a month ago. I’ve been a member since 1999 or 2000. Back then it wasn’t a streaming service, and I remember the excitement of receiving DVDs in the mail. It was so cool at the time.
Netflix used to be full of art documentaries, and quirky international films, which I love to watch. Lately tho, it’s become more about dating shows, and stuff I’d never watch. When I looked at our watch history, I realized I kept paying for a service every month, which we were barely using.
I talked to my husband about canceling the account. He said there were a couple things he might want to watch, so I waited. Time went on, and neither of us watched anything. It was time to say goodbye.
After being a loyal Netflix member for so many years, I thought the breakup would be difficult, but I haven’t given it another thought. There are a million videos on Youtube that interest me, including art documentaries, so I don’t miss it.
What I’ve been watching lately:
MAKING PAINT: 104 COLORS (3 hours of art asmr) – this video is so relaxing. Almost guaranteed to cure insomnia, imo.
The Shame and Snobbery of Calling Yourself an Artist
Lies Artists Tell Themselves – Rafi and Klee
I found a couple lies in there that I’ve been telling myself. Oof! How about you?
studio tour // vlogmas day 1 – Alisa Burke
I love getting a sneak peek into artists’ studios, and Alisa’s is gorgeous.
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Purchase original art through me, and get free shipping.
I also sell originals & prints on eBay and Etsy – shipping isn’t free on these sites because of the high cost of fees & ads.
You can message me here.
Other places to find me online.
***
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