Color – Page 3 – Jamie's Sketchbook

Yule

‘Tis the season, from holiday gnomes, to the annual quilt mystery! Capturing the bits and pieces during this cold, wintery season.

One of my gifts was 238 dot card set from Daniel Smith, so you know I had to make a color chart!

On the sketchbook design front, I noticed when I scanned these just how strongly I am still doing individual pages, and not really designing across the gutter. Only one of these four spreads utilizes both pages. I had not really noticed when I was making the pages, but I do when looking at the scans. This inspires me to think a bit more about my design, and layout in the future!

Happy Holidays everyone, and may your days be Merry and Bright! Happy New Year!

A Holiday Palette

I love the idea of seasonal palettes, and color stories. For this holiday season I am inspired by these tones and colors, and I suspect one could do quite a lot with this colored. My watercolors are all Daniel Smith. The gold gouache is Winsor Newton. After all, the holiday season needs some sparkle!

Then I had to figure out what, exactly, is “Interference Gold” by Daniel Smith, and how does it work? Am I supposed to mix it in to paint to make the paint sparkle? Nope. That gives a tiny bit of sheen, but is really not very effective. How does it work if I paint it on top? That was the sparkliest options. It is transparent enough fro the color to come through, but also clearly gold in the light. I tested how these palette colors “lift” alongside a swipe of Interference Gold, as well.

February Pages

New supplies, and mysteries, a lot of color testing Potter’s Pink, and seeking out those lavenders, February brought a mix of sketches.

This is the page that launched the lavender search. I was trying to color match the post card, and didn’t quite get the results I wanted.

I do love to sketch art supplies!

Color testing for lavenders and Potter’s Pink

Here is the great search for how to make that lavender I was going for earlier in the month. Then I had to dive into Potter’s Pink and really get a true feel for what it does!

Testing Products

Time for some product tests!

Comparing the colors of Polychromos, Albrecht Durer, and Derwent Inktense to see how they compare and to find matches.

I had a variety of pens and items I’d received via my Sketchbox subscription, so I tested those out.

I was gifted an old set of Arteza brush pens, so here was my color chart and testing of those.

Testing various shades of grey, grey brush pens and pencils. I do love the warm greys!

Leaves, Clothes, and a Palette

Continuing on with my older sketchbooks, where I was still experimenting a lot in my pages.

Since I sew and dye many of my own clothes, sketching my wardrobe is always a favorite for me! That green is not at all accurate for the clothes, so thus begins my eternal quest to match the perfect mixes for greens!

I was attempting to create a nice Autumn color palette and was testing some choices. Most of these colors were very new to me when I made this color test page!

Derwent Inktense Pencils

How do Derwent Inktense pencils perform? How do Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils compare? Which do I want to use? Nothing like a good color test to find out!

Here I am learning the difference between water soluble and not with a small set of Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils compared with Derwent Watercolor Pencils. I also wanted to see what happens with the watercolor pencils when activated with water.

Then I wanted to find out of Polychromos pencils actually are the same shade as their Albrecht Durer Watercolor brethren. Sure enough, they really are! How great is that?! While I was at it, I had some Derwent Studio pencils, so I decided to check those out.

Derwent Inktense Pencils – Blues & Greens

Since I had a big set of Inktense, next it was time to make a color chart. I sure do love to make color charts!

Daniel Smith Palettes

I ran across a number of six color palettes that Daniel Smith was building with various artists. I since I already had many of the colors, I set out to document the various collections in order to try them at some point, since I was having such fun with the Direct Watercolor Palette. (Sketchbook v2, Stillman & Birn Beta, 3.5 x 5.5 in.)

Sketchbook 1b Complete

This is the first sketchbook I finished, the second sketchbook I started. I had accidentally labeled it volume 1, then found the earlier sketchbook, so I changed it to volume 1b. This is a 5.5 x 8.5 inch Stillman & Birn Beta, softcover. I used it mostly for classwork, and color tests. Very much a working sketchbook.

So Many Colors!

I am obsessed with color! Now I was bitten with the color bug, and just had to try out all sorts of different pigments and find out what I had in stash, as well as the new ones I bought just for fun. I filled pages with these color tests in my Stillman & Birn Beta.

I learned a lot about these paints during this phase. Then I had to learn how to mix greys. I tried a few recipes I’d read from others, and tested them out myself.

Watercolor Course 2020

When I started Liz Steel’s Watercolor class in August 2018 I chose the Stillman & Birn Beta, size 5.5 x 8.5 inches (14.0 x 21.6 cm) Softcover. I bought her palette colors, and loved the idea of painting the palette to start the sketchbook.

Why is this Sketchbook 1B, instead of 2? Well, when I was trying to round up my sketchbooks by the time I had several of them going, I numbered this one 1, but ended up finding the earlier sketchbook, so it became 1A, and this one became 1B.

The very first palette I set up myself! I was so proud of my filled half-pans, and of my color labels right here on page one! Great way to start a sketchbook!

The first lessons of the course were to experiment with the marks ones brush can make, and how to test the properties of the paint, and the paper. What a revelation this was to me! Not all paper is the same? Not all pigments behave the same? Not all brushes brush the same?! Mind blown!

I loved every lesson I did, and learned so much.