Easier this way

In a previous post, perhaps even last week I mentioned that I was done with large format paintings. They take up too much space (and they mostly suck).

I have made the switch to watercolours. I forgot that I was actually somewhat proficient with the medium. It has been decades since I used them (yes, I’m old).

The number one reason why I stopped using them was: money. You can’t just stick a nail on the wall and hang your watercolour on it. They need to be professionally framed with archival materials — not cheap.

Decades ago I worked as a picture framer which helped offset the cost of framing. Picture framers don’t make much of a wage (just like artists) so eventually that perk was no longer an option. I switched to acrylics, and yes, the paint, canvases and brushes are expensive too. The difference being you “could” stick a nail in the wall and hang your work without a frame.

That has all changed. I don’t need to frame my watercolours anymore or file them away in a drawer. I can easily show them on the web. I can sell the original unframed and leave it to the customer to decide.

My goal with acrylics was to emulate the spontaneity and looseness that I enjoyed with watercolours. I never reached that goal, perhaps in the future I will.

Now that I have upped my drawing skills (my opinion) I feel I can take my watercolours to a new level. My weekly schedule should be back to normal this week. Hopefully I can start producing some meaningful results.

The following are examples of the process I used to produce an image last week.

These next two sketches are “potential ideas” for my next series of paintings. I’ll start with background colour washes first, then add the drawing over the wash and further refine it with more colour.