Thursday, August 29, 2013

Oil Painting #4 - Norway Fjord

I painted an image of Norway fjord, from my photograph. 

Time: 8/2013
Paint: water soluble oil
Surface: canvas
Size: 8" x 10"








Friday, August 16, 2013

Palette

Definitions:
1) "Palette" can mean "a set of color paints". From a scientist's perspective, a limited palette can consist of only 3 primary colors: cyan, yellow, and magenta. From an artist's perspective, a limited palette can consist of 3 traditional primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Someone may prefer a slightly more extended 6 color palette: cool red, warm red, cool yellow, warm yellow, cool blue, and warm blue.

Claude Monet's paintings were analyzed, and the conclusion was that his palette consisted of 9 colors:
  • Lead white (modern equivalent: titanium white)
  • Ivory black (Monet stopped using black after 1886)
  • Chrome yellow (modern equivalent: cadmium yellow light) (cool)
  • Cadmium yellow (warm)
  • Viridian green (very cool)
  • Emerald green (slightly cool)
  • Cobalt blue (cool)
  • French ultramarine blue (warm)
  • Madder red (modern equivalent: alizarin crimson) (cool)
  • Vermilion red (warm)


The above is titled "Monet painting in his garden at Argenteuil", by his good friend Renoir.

2) "Palette" can also mean a physical surface on which you mix your colors. Before, when I painted with acrylics, I bought a plastic palette with multiple wells. After painting, I could clean the leftover acrylic paint easily. Now, I am painting with water soluble oil, I can no longer clean the paint off the plastic palette easily.

To overcome the problem, I bought a roll of wax paper. Each time, I tear off a sheet of 8 inches, and mix paint on it. It works pretty well. The oil and the paint stay on top of the wax paper.



However, when I mixed water soluble oil paint with a lot of water, the mixture did not stay on top of the wax paper completely. The water seeped away through the wax paper, only the pigment solids were left on top of it. So, when I need to mix water soluble oil paint with a lot of water, I do it in the wells of my old plastic palette. The watery leftover paint on the plastic palette is easy to clean. Only the dried leftover oil paint on the plastic palette is hard to clean.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Oil Painting #3 - Bridge and Boats

I tried bridge and boats again, this time with water soluble oil paint.

Time: 7/2013
Paint: water soluble oil
Surface: canvas
Size: 8" x 10"






Sunday, July 28, 2013

Water Soluble Oil Paints

I decided to use water soluble oil paints, so that I can avoid using turpentine.

After some research, I decided to buy Holbein Duo Aqua water soluble oil colors. I read some good user reviews about this line.

I bought the following 6 colors:

  • Burnt Umber
  • Cadmium Red hue
  • Cadmium Yellow light hue
  • Titanium White
  • Ultramarine deep
  • Yellow Ochre

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Watercolor #3 - Fruit

Here are two more of my watercolor paintings - oranges in a bowl, tomatoes on a blue plate.

Time: 7/2013
Paint: watercolor
Surface: paper
Size: 4" x 4"






Friday, July 26, 2013

Watercolor #2 - Fruit

This is another of my watercolor painting - apples in a bowl.

Time: 7/2013
Paint: watercolor
Surface: paper
Size: 4" x 4"






Thursday, July 25, 2013

Watercolor #1 - Fruit

OK, after acrylics and oil, why not try watercolor? That's exactly what I did. I tried my hands at watercolor in July of 2013.

This is my 2nd ever watercolor painting - pears and grapes in a blow.

Time: 7/2013
Paint: watercolor
Surface: paper
Size: 4" x 4"






Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Oil Painting #2 - Bridge and Boats

This is my second oil painting - bridge and boats.

Time: 6/2013
Paint: oil
Surface: stretched canvas
Size: 13" x 13"



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Oil Painting #1 - Mountains and Lake

This is my first ever oil painting. I think it is an improvement over the acrylic painting with the same subject.

Time: 6/2013
Paint: oil
Surface: stretched canvas
Size: 16" x 13"


Monday, July 22, 2013

Acrylic Painting #2 - Mountains and Lake

This is one of my first landscape paintings.

Time: 3/2013
Paint: acrylics
Surface: paper
Size: 13" x 9"





Sunday, July 21, 2013

Acrylic Painting #1 - Red Mug

I have liked to sketch since I was a child. In the year of 2013, I started painting.

This is my first painting, a mug.

Time: 2/2013
Paint: acrylics
Surface: paper
Size: 9" x 13"