Playing with water colour

Time to get my watercolours out & have some fun. I have never taken a class, I just haven't had time to squeeze it in, apparently these things happen when both kids are at school!
Experimenting is my only way to play, & I look at other accomplished artist's work, & look on you tube for technical inspiration.

I decided to have a go at painting some hand drawn lettering.

The initial sketch was the easy part.

Then I tackled the back ground. I got all of the colour on there. getting into tight spaces prove to be more difficult that I thought.

Adding some colour was so much fun & it started to become something.

Getting there.

Done! I added some white dots in acrylic to lift areas of it. I actually wanted to outline some of the letters in while, but my brush was a little large & too soft. I will need to speak to my art supplies about that as I am not sure how to tackle it. I also feel I need to work on my background. It looks a bit blotchy & uneven. I am not sure why, but no doubt it's all technique based. 

Regardless I found the whole creative task really calming.

Pinning Water Colours

I love water colours, there is something so soft, gentle, & peaceful about them. I love how colours bleed into each other, it can have such a refreshing effect. With spring shining here at the moment, it has me feeling inspired to create.

Here are some gorgeous finds on pinterest I have found.

Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

I hope these designs & such beautiful colours inspire your day.

Water colour mushrooms

My first exercise for MATS, was to draw some little mushrooms.

So I sketched furiously as you can see above, drawing several styles. I didn't want typical mushrooms I had to have my style come through. Once done I thought COLOUR time, so for the first time in years I pulled out my water colours & had an absolute ball playing with them.

I am quite happy with the end result to be honest :)

My next challenge will be to use the acrylics I bought Sunday.

This is so much fun.

My new acrylic adventure

An exciting day today, I start my course with Lilla Rogers, "Make Art That Sells", I mentioned it yesterday. Everything will start in New York time, so I just have to sit & wait until their day begins there....Aahhhhh feeling impatient!

Yesterday I went & did something very exciting....I bought myself a set of beautiful, juicy acrylic paints. I've purchased them with the ambition of extending myself in this course, by trying a new medium. I have always liked acrylics, from a far, & admired many the work of many artists who use them. Currently all of my work is created in Adobe Illustrator, or vector work, as the trained graphic designers call it. I love to draw on the computer, it's quick, fast & I get what I needed done, no drying time or anything like that.

When I studied fashion design my focus wasn't on the art as much as learning to draft patterns, or dreaming of drawing technical specs in the computer. I drew, don't get my wrong, lots & lots. I took illustration, but I always preferred pencils & fine tipped ink pens. I do admit playing around with watercolours, but I have a lot to learn there also.

So back to yesterday.... I felt so anxious as I went up & asked the sales assistant what to buy. She was so helpful & as I expressed how I was a newbie to the painting world. She explained that she had years of painting experience, but new nothing in the computer world, so she sensed exactly how I was feeling, as it would have been her if she was using a CAD system. I bought a palette of acrylic colours, some new brushes, & some spongy bits & bobs, & feel ready for experimenting to hit me.

Feeling nervous, lets see what evolves.