![]() As much as I would love to have hours and hours to sit and paint, the reality is, it just doesn't happen very often. Like many of us, to be able to paint for several hours in one go is a luxury and one that doesn't happen as often as I would like. With running art classes and an impending house renovation calling for attention, I manage to carve some time into my week to play in the sketchbook and lately creating mini landscapes. These landscapes are half an A4 size paper,or some are 20cm x 20cm. The paper has a luxurious feel as it is 100% cotton watercolour paper and is a pleasure to work on. Allowing myself an hour or so to work on a landscape or finish one off means I am still able to create for my art business. Most importantly, I continue to keep that creative muscle working. The joy of time carved out of a busy schedule helps to calm my mind, taking time to forget about what is happening around me, my to do list or anything else that pops up. Growing up, I had no idea my grandmother my dad's side was an artist. It wasn't until recent years I found out she worked with charcoals and watercolour. I now sit and wonder if this was her stress release from her busy life of being a nurse, mother and living on a poultry farm. Besides the escapism, the joy of honing my skills with watercolour and gouache on small works. You can see some of my current mini landscapes created during these times. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
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![]() I am an all or nothing type of person. When I start a new hobby or project I seem to swamp myself with he must haves and a few might grabs. I can't help myself. There are a few essential items to have in your kit if you are planning to start creating. Instead of starting on canvases there is the option to start in sketchbooks/journals or pads. Not only is it cost effective, as someone that is starting our you are more likely to experiment and have fun than worry about wasting a canvas. A few quality pencils starting with a HB and then a range from 2H to 6B is a terrific starting point and often can be purchased in packs. A kneadable eraser and a rubber eraser are also ideal to have on hand. For those wanting to explore painting a basic brush set is indispensable. Include a variety of sizes and types such as filbert, round, flat to give you different brush strokes. A couple of palette knives are also a worth while investment. You can buy packs of brushes with a few palette knives to give you a reasonable variety of tools. Choose your medium, do you want to use watercolour, acrylics or gouache? Start with a basic colour palette of your chosen paint, this will inspire your to mix your colours and experiment. You can always upgrade the quality and colour range as you become more comfortable. You don't have to spend big on palettes and cups. I use recycled food jars for my water cups and a plastic palette. I also use a perfect for me size cardboard and tape greaseproof paper to it. This is perfect for acrylic paints and for watercolour I have an old plate. One tip I do have is try and work on a whit palette so you don't change the look of the colour you are mixing by the distraction of another colour or a pattern. The photo above is of my mixing palette using the greaseproof paper. Finally, learning resources are something to tap into. I run over 80 classes a year if you live near my studio or use the internet and check out some of the great resources on Youtube. There you have it, you can get creating on a small budget and enjoy the process. I have put together, my favourite tools as a starting point, if you are not sure where to start. Do you have your favourite tools you would like to share? Leave a comment below. ![]() I started off painting on small canvas squares and art panels for a year or two. I then moved on to boards. I love using the boards particularly for some of my abstract work. You can scratch into the panels without fear of damaging a canvas. You can throw ink at it, spray water over it, sand it back and be rough on it. Boards are great but they have their limitations too, such as framing and weight. I move between boards, paper and canvas. When I am starting a piece, I think about the end result and that will determine the substrate. Each has their own unique benefits. I love working on paper, it is easy to use, affordable, easy to frame and easy to store. You can't be as heavy handed on paper, but it does have many benefits. The artwork pictured; Hidden Gem I used mixed media paper. I enjoy working on canvas and tend to find I use a canvas once I have completed a few paper pieces in the same colours or style. I feel freer to go about the piece having already played with the mediums, colours and mark making. When planning your next artwork, think about what mediums you will be using, do you need to sand back, scratch in, will you use lots of water or ink? These questions will help you determine the paper type, canvas or boards. ![]() When I started back creating, I had nothing in my kit of supplies. Most of my creations of late had been on the computer in the form of social media posts and writing articles, eBooks and training manuals. I purchased two large canvases on sale and hubby came home with some paint brushes and paints. The paints were small tubes, the brushes were cheap and cheerful, but it was a start. I then purchased some small canvases 20cm x 20cm and artist boards 25cm x 20cm to practice on. Hubby and I spent hours painting and enjoying the process. I started off with student grade paints, and those cheap and cheerful brushes. By the way, it was weeks later we painted on the large canvas, after hours and hours of practice. If you plan to start dabbling in art for a hobby, start with what you have and what you can afford. Enjoy creating every day without worrying about wasting paint or messing up an expensive brush. Have fun and enjoy the moment. |
AuthorLee Cummins is a mixed media artist, workshop and art class facilitator. Archives
January 2025
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