My New Glass Palette and Multiple Post Day

After feeling refreshed from an early afternoon nap, I started to paint.  I used my glass palette for the first time.  It was a joy to use!  Now, I could kick myself for not using it sooner.

I bought a 12"x16" Masterson's Artist Palette Seal from my local AC Moore (50% coupon).  This palette container has a blue rubber-like cover that snaps shut.  Literally, the cover is a tight fit.  I have to run my palms around the edges to lock the cover in place.  When I'm ready to open and remove the cover, it's hard to pull the cover off.  Other than that, I do like this palette container.  It's huge!

My painting cart with my supplies including my glass palette

I found a piece of glass at my local Home Depot.  It's called Clear Replacement Glass.  It's 3/32" thick and the dimensions are 12"x16".  It fits in my container without any problems.  I just have to be careful of the sharp edges of the glass when I'm handling it.  

Here I've mixed my green values using my stainless steel palette knife:  

My glass palette sitting in a Masterson's Air-Tight Palette Seal

When I finished painting after several hours, I just scraped the paint off and gave the glass a good wipe down with a paper towel:  

Easy clean up!  No fuss, no mess

You've probably noticed that the glass looks gray.  I've placed a piece of gray palette paper underneath the glass.  In my research, I have found that it's easier to see and mix true (correct) colors when the background is gray.  You won't see me using a wood palette or white plastic palette when I'm painting.  

Masterson's Artist Palette Seal and Grey Matters Paper Palette

This 50-sheet pad of gray palette paper will last a long time as I probably won't have to change it out while it sits under my glass palette.  

Spiderwort Painting and Lukas Berlin WMOs

For the last week or so, I've been looking for a subject to paint.  Mostly, I've been wanting to try out my new easel.  I looked through my photos and photo albums and finally came up with something floral...a Spiderwort picture I took several years ago.

I wanted to give my Lukas Berlin WMO paints another try.  Give it a real good test.  I also wanted to try a different painting technique.  Paint the background first and the subject last.

Here is the results of my three hours of painting:

The Lukas Berlin WMO paints are lovely to mix and paint with.  It's creamy right out of the tube.  I used Ultramarine Blue and Lemon Yellow to create the green values (dark, medium, and light).  I did notice that the Lukas colors appear to be brighter than the other paints I've used so far.  

Once the colors were mixed, I did notice that the mixture was still creamy, but slightly thick.  When I applied the paint to the canvas paper, I could tell the consistency was different than the more expensive Holbiens I used in my previous painting.  The Holbien paint mixture glides over the canvas paper without too much effort.  When I used the Lukas, I have to load a bit more paint on the brush to get that "glide" feel over the canvas paper.  There's definitely a difference in the feel of the paint.  Personally, I don't consider to be an issue.  I'm just happy that I'm not working with stiff paints.  

In this first painting session, I did not use any mediums (e.g. linseed oil or thinner).  This gives you an idea of how good this paint really is to work with.  

My green values

Painted the dark value first

Painted in the light value next

Painted in the medium value and then blended the colors

For the next painting session, I will start painting the flower.  I plan on using a Magenta Red color mixed with white to create the Pink values.  

A New Year, Another Painting Area and a Daylight Lamp

To start off the new year with a fresh start, I decided to do some cleaning and reorganizing.  My new easel needed a place to call home.  I found a corner on the main level and had to move around some furniture to make things fit and make things functional for me.  I'm all about comfort and function.  I like this corner because it's between two windows.  Here's my second painting area:

Daylight Lamp:

I found a daylight artist lamp at my local AC Moore store.  I had a 50% off coupon and got a incredible deal.  The Internet could not match this price and when you include shipping costs....  Purchasing this local made more sense.  This daylight lamp is awesome and works great.  It's a bit heavy.  I do have a warning.  It's not that easy to bend even though it says so on the box.  I carefully twisted and turned this...it took 3 tries.  The lamp comes with two bases:  one to clamp onto a desk and one that hangs off an easel (see above picture)

Storing and Drying My Paintings

I've been looking for a drying rack to store my paintings.  I was appalled at the prices I was seeing at my local art shop and over the Internet.  Something so simple, yet so expensive!

I knew there was an alternative.  I went to my local Staples and look what I found:

My new drying rack and only $12!

It's a file sorter.  Eleven slots to be exact.  It looks so nice on my table.  It's also functional!  Notice something funning at the base?  Yes, that is a folded paper towel.  The file sorter needs to be propped up.  Still a great find at a great price!

My New Hobby...Oil Painting

I've been interested in drawing/sketching since Jr High when I took the required art class, but I never pursued a career in the arts.  Let alone an education in that field.  In 2000, I picked up watercolor painting. I took a local class that got me off to the wrong start.  One, may paintings were miserable looking and two, my instructor wasn't that good.  That was a short lived hobby.  In 2002, I decided to get back into watercolors and took an 8-weeik course at an Old Town shop.  I studied with a wonderful lady, Karyn, who painted beautiful and lively scenes.  I wanted to paint like her.  My painting skills improved immensely as she introduced me to artist/professional paints and brushes.  That made a huge difference.  I continued painting for another year or so.

Since then, I have taken on additional hobbies like sewing and knitting garments and accessories.  I really enjoyed spending time in my fiber arts.  My short lived painting experiences helped me see a gamut of colors, hues, and textures.

Now, I've taken up oil painting.  I looked around for classes, but decided to learn this new hobby on my own.  The money I would have spent for lessons, was instead used for my new supplies (paints, palettes, and brushes).

My first oil painting called 'Values'

After playing around with the oils, I can honestly say that I enjoy it more than watercolors.  I did a wet-on-wet or single layer painting technique called Alla Prima.  It took only two hours to complete this painting.  

Here's my mini painting studio area:

My painting area.  One of my watercolor paintings is hanging on the wall (upper right)

I got the hang of holding the palette in my hand and didn't feel any fatigue.  It felt natural.  I also managed to hold additional brushes and a paper towel in the same hand.  I do need to get a larger palette once I start painting and mixing additional colors.  

My clear acrylic palette