The Frugal Way in Art

I'm always on the look out for a cheaper way to either make my own materials, or get around the more expensive brands when it comes to art. If I knew the reciepes for making my own oil or acrylic paints, I'd try it, really.

But today I have a reciepe for Gesso. You know, that big jar you buy to prime a canvas. It's suggested you put another layer down of Gesso before you paint on any canvas, because usually the cheaper the canvas the less Gesso they put on it--and the cheaper the material, but we'll get to that another day.

I took a look at both Hobby Lobby and Micheals stores to see just how much it is. A 16 oz jar of Gesso at Hobby Lobby is about $25. At Micheals it's about $10. But if you don't need that much Gesso, or, by golly, you don't feel like going into town to get it, and if you have the ingredients on hand, why not make your own?

Here's what you need:
1/4 cup corn starch or baking soda
1 T. white (or any color) acrylic paint
1 T. Glue--can be Tacky, Elmer's, any kind you may have
1-3 T. of water to mix to consistancy you want. 

I used a large cup (seen in background of photo above), and a plastic spoon for mixing, and a Tablespoom measure of some sort. Just know these will all need to be cleaned off right away after you get this done. Also, if you have a canvase handy that could use a coat of Gesso, I'd have it close by and a paint brush to swipe out whatever is left over in your mixing cup/bowl. 

You can easily double or triple the ingredience in order to make more, too. If you go on You Tube, you'll find a dozen videos on how to do it, but there's nothing to it, no mystery. If you can mix a batch of cookies, you can certainly make this up in about 10 minutes.

All I know is that these materials are usually on hand, I used the craft glue, and craft acrylic paints I bought in a craft store, or at Walmart. The paints are the 2 fluid ounce size, so if you wanted to add more cornstarch and glue to make a larger batch it wouldn't be hard to do that.

Anyway, it's a lot cheaper than buying it already made up, that's for sure!

Pelin Air is HARD!

It occurred to me, just recently, that I've always been a Plein Air painter/artist. That's just a fancy name for someone who paints outside, paints what they see in nature.

 I'm lucky to live at a forest preserve--actually, it's a replanted wetland and prairie. Plenty of flowers to paint.

 There are plenty of artists who like to paint outdoors, and enjoy it. But it takes a special type of person who doesn't mind what goes along with it, like the bugs, and wind, and basic comfort needs.
But if you want to see, really see what is out there and paint it, that's the only way to do it. Go outside and paint from real life.

 My backyard is just as good as any place, in some cases. I found this old chair in the barn and thought it would give my flowers a bit of a "frame" to peek through. So I set this up out there and painted it.

 What d'ya think?

 I love clouds, the sky, and love sunrises. Some are more spectacular than others. This is early morning sky over Afton, which I painted below.

I enjoy doing these, and miss being able to go outside, but I have windows I can look out and pick some trees to paint during the winter months.

I follow plein air painter Stefan Baumann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSNtqYPhDuo

He is quite famous, but I didn't find him until recently, and find that his classes are unique. He isn't pretentious, he's the real deal. Here is a link to one of his many classes. If you're in need of his help, well, he is available in no other way anyone I've ever found is. He gives out his phone #, and you can call him. However, he is not cheap! But his shows are very informative as he stands in front of his classes in Mt. Shasta, or in various other places in California.
I have not found another person on You Tube who has done so much for me (and the people who make comments below his site on You Tube), just by watching, and listening to his lectures. He considers himself a "coach", not a teacher. 

Returning To Art: Bald Eagle

I had no idea that there were magical things you could do to pencils (colored or otherwise), that would blend them to make them appear more vivid. In fact it's the case with other mediums.
I began this large drawing back in October working in colored pencil. This is a large work, and it took me a lot of time, because it was so big and I was using my eyes so much, I'd get cross-eyed if I kept at it more than a few hours.

The work took me a couple of weeks to complete.

When I got it done I wished I'd done the background in watercolor first, because it was just too big of an area to cover (9"x12"). The original didn't have the big dark clouds, but I felt it needed some drama. Besides, I like clouds!

 I knew it was an undertaking filling that much space with colored pencils, but I stuck with it. I'd never done a picture quite that large with just pencils. But the end picture/painting is so much more. I knew I wanted the eagle's head to show up vividly. That's the focal point. When I got enough layers of pencil down I took odorless mineral spirits to blend the colors. I let it dry and added more layers, I also put down watercolor pencil to the sky and various other spots on the bird. I then went in again and did the colored pencil and blended it with OMS.
I've had over 100 likes on the facebook page Free Reference Photos for Artists

My Newest Medium: Crayons!

Crayola crayons.
They were my favorite medium when I was a child. And when I couldn't find paper to draw on, I used walls. My mother had to have been vexed with me, for sure.

Okay, it sounds hokie, but I was determined to see if odorless mineral spirits would do the same on wax crayons as it does for colored pencils.

After trying to find someone out there who might have come up with this brain wave--and failed (only found people just doing drawings or melting the wax. Like what's the big deal with melting wax?

I found a great picture of Anelope Canyon (lower or upper, I'm not sure), and decided to hock it for a trial test with the crayons.

I found that the OMS did work as it did with wax pencils. I found I could put down more layers after it dried. I experimented on how soon I could try. Some colors seemed to blend really well. Others not so well. I should have made note on which ones, but I was having too much damned fun to care!

The final product:

What'dya think? Would you try it? I'm going to do another one soon. Until then, happy creating!