I got some new watercolor pencils and copic multiliner pens. With the intention of producing more artwork a lot faster. No more waiting for months on a finished piece to dry. They still don’t come close to the look of oil paint in person. Then again though nothing does and they have a great character of their own.
The watercolor pencils, two pens, water brush, and paper are about the lightest and most easy to transport kit I’ve ever used. Here is a first go getting back into the swing of it.
Just dropped off two paintings at
Moonlit Path. 11×14 oil on canvas. $150
Paradise Beach. 12×16 oil on museum wrap canvas. $220
Go check them out
I will have more work coming out soon. Please follow my page and feel free to contact me at
chris.mitchell521@gmail.com
So this picture is a complete departure from what I typically paint, however, despite the fact I am not particularly “religious” I felt compelled to make this work because it is such a powerful image.
Continue reading Moments of Doubt and Pain
So I figured in an effort to actually make more money at this art business it would be helpful to have lower ticket items anyone could buy like a small watercolor postcard.
A lot of time actually goes into creating these little pieces so maybe prints would still be a more affordable option just like with the larger oils to make a more attractive price point while at the same time making sure people who want my art can have it no matter their financial situation.
Below are three very different subjects just to see how I like these little watercolors, and I really enjoyed making these so more to come 🙂
So this is the beginning of an oil painting composed with one of the beautiful adobe homes here in New Mexico. I am curious if any artist out there still use the underpainting at all and what benefit is gained from it?
I enjoy using one as staring at a plain canvas can be intimidating. It seems to help me get in the art making mood to loosen up playing with limited colors and brushes in the very beginning of a piece. Anyway I will update as the work progresses.
Thanks for looking,
Commissions Welcome
Chris – – – ReZilientInk
Here is an updated photo of the work completed so far.
So here is another update I am nearly done this one needs to dry for a while so I can add finishing details like the door jambs, the zia symbol, and clean up the windows straight lines. For that though I need to put my hands on it as I am too shaky to do it just freehand like a pinstriper.
This is a short explanation of how I go about a painting. Especially for something like this where it has to be a pretty accurate representation. This is a study of my grandmother’s house completed in watercolor and it is a quarter sheet of Strathmore Imperial 140 pound cold press paper. I plan to revisit this subject from an angle and complete the painting in oil on a much larger canvas. Look for updates on that in the future.
First here is the reference photo I was working from for this angle.
The first thing I did was make a pencil sketch of the house making sure to get a lot of the details along the way.
Once I’m pretty happy with the sketch I cover the back of this paper with soft lead pencil such as 6B. Then I fix it over the watercolor paper and trace it with a pen to transfer the image correcting minor mistakes along the way.
Once that the image is transferred it is time to start painting Finally. I begin by picking a horizon behind the house and paint in the sky. I added quite a bit of color to the sky to make it feel warmer and brighter out. I also block in basic shapes of color as well as shadows and highlights.
From here I finish adding the details on the house like the door and shutters first as well as the guttering system and support columns. Also adding the white siding panels with white gouache. The final painting is completed by adding more grasses to the foreground as well as flowers and patio furniture in warm colors.
So here is the finished image next to the reference photo for comparison. I see several things that could be improved but overall I’m pretty happy with the end result. I will make it better in oil paint 🙂
I drew this little frog for my fiancé who collects everything frog related. I found this picture online and couldn’t resist trying it out. It is only about 6 by 6 inches on Strathmore 400 series cold press. Completed with daniel smith and schmincke watercolor paints.
This painting was completed in oils and has been gloss varnished. It was done on a 16 x 20 masterpiece pro Belgian linen canvas. The sides are also painted out to match the picture so a frame is not essential for display.
It was inspired by my many visits to New Mexico where I am currently working and living with my fiancé. It is such a beautiful area and very unlike the landscape where I grew up in Kentucky. The skies are amazing and the adobe houses are very fun and a new challenge to paint.
I decided to try something different with this painting. It is watercolor on Strathmore imperial 140 pound cold press. I typically stick to painting landscapes most of the time, however, here I wanted to try a still life composition. The inherent properties of the watercolor medium itself lended beautifully to capturing varying degrees of tonal differences in the fruit. The colors are very bright also which was fun and really stands out on the wall.
RezilientInk 