Watercolor Painting

Watercolor Painting Plein Air

Watercolors, are they not fun and great?! 

Watercolor provides one with a freedom one can not get with other 

mediums. I love my old high school Grumbacher symphonic water colorset 

we wee given at Art and Design. People will say water color is very 

unforgiving and that is not true. I have started using the synthetic new 

brushes and I have found them to be just as good as the ultra expensive 

natural fiber brushes and even superior to many of the natural fiber brushes. I 

happened to stumble across a sale at Jerry's Artoroma that I could not pass. 

I was using in the pass kolinsky sable brushes by Escoda, Winsor Newton, 

Robert Simmons,Grumbacher, Rhapsody and others. The cost of these 

brushes would be blinding especially when someone uses one without 

permission and ruins it or one looses it. Well needless to say the synthetic 

brushes that cost 1/10 the price wont break your heart if one gets lost or 

ruined or stolen, I did not want to mention the stealing part. But it seems 

technology has caught up and all of our furry friends can live in peace not 

worrying some artist is going to ambush them for their fur now.

"Perfect Day  end of summer at the beach" bay 67 Rockaway Beach, New York City, watercolor 9" by 12" 130 pound cold press paaper

We have all had one of those end of summer by the beach moments and memories. I'll try a little to tell what I was feeling and going after. It was towards the end of the day when every one is trying to grab as much as they can of that moment. You just don't want it to end, it is perfect. I was sketching and playing with my water colors when I looked up and saw this dialog going on in front of me. A little beatuiful girl who did not want to leave the beach playing a reel me in game with her mother as she paraded in a circle and frooze every now and then to look slightly up at her mom to see her reaction. It was almost as if she was posing on purpose. Her mom juggled all her things and her baby boy who also wanted to just break free. The gestures and movement had a great impact. The mom spoke gently to the little girl, giggled and smiled, promising to return but it seemed as if the little girl felt that moment would never return. From the little girl running in a total expression of youthful freedom along the shores edge, to the boy driving into the waves in joy and the man out on the board waiting for his wave to ride it in. Man against nature the epic struggle but at this moment all in harmony. I had to capture it, Yes I cheated and it was not totally plein aire because I used a photo to help once back in the studio. But is that really cheating?

'Storm" Rockaway Beach New York, watercolor 11" by 15", 140 pound cold press paper

"Bay 65 Rockaay Beach "11" by 15" Watercolor on 140 pound cold press paper.

"Rooftop Sunrise" 11" by !5" watercolor 140 pound cold press paper

I use mostly a size 8 pointed round, and a size 12 round, rarely do I need more than just 3 brushes.
Another great tool are the kuretake bushes, these are a great deal of fun. They are self contained water pen brushes. The brush body holds water. One squeezes and it releases the water.

Rockaways 65th street bay

11 by 15  rockaways

11 by 15  rockaways

11 by 15  rockaways

11 by 15  rockaways

study done from memory, girl in water, painted on printers watercolor painter which has no sizing 80 pound. Paper without sizing is very difficult to work with. Not recommended!

7 3/8 by 11 3/4

watercolor study of man smoking by blicks art supply store, freaking out at how high the prices are and trying to figure out what body part he will sell to by his supplies.

"Ecstasy' watercolor 8.5" by 14"

painted using synthetic brushes and Grumbacher symphonic transparent water color set 1970 model no longer made to my belief. A great design for students and professionals alike. It's a shame they no longer manufacture that set design.

I shall post picture of the new brushes just because they are that good.

Here are some of the new synthetic brushes.

#20 Ebony Splendor  387 round , #12 dura handle creative creative inspiration  round, #8 Polar Flo  7000r creative mark, 1.5" Ebony Splendor 394 wash Creative Mark,  Medium size Kuretake (self contained water brush), Aquastroke brush set of four, small , medium, large and flat, great fun using these self contained. The water goes into the body of the bush and when you need water a gentle squeeze. Our furry friends are safe.

I shall do a side by side comparison of the synthetics and natural. Hopefully very soon.

My commando water color paint box and supplies within it.

This is my kit basically, eye dropper, atomizer, sponge, aqua pen brushes, clips, Q-tips, napkins, pencils #2,#6 , kneaded eraser.

 Pelikan transparent watercolor set, great sent everything self contained, water wells pallet.

Grumbacher Symphonic transparent water color kit, I love this set.

Seems like a lot but it is not and all fits into a small back pack. I forgot the eye dropper and atomizer. With the aqua brushes, which I adore, I have a total of 9 brushes and that is over kill for outdoors.I use an old cigar box which are excellent if one uses natural hair brushes. Almost all cigar boxes have a cider lining, ceder keeps moth and insects away from destroying those every expensive brushes.

this is what it will look like once stacked maybe six inches in height, 3 differentI find the Pelikan transparent and the old Grumbacher symphonic set great. Unfortunately the old Grumbacher symphonic transparent set are no longer made.

12 by 18

This was done from imagination as a test on some printers paper where use hair spray to give the surface some sizing so it was an experiment. The paper was inexpensive 80 weight printers paper without sizing.