Sunday, September 15, 2013


'red 22' ~ watercolors and gouache in stillman and birn 'zeta', 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"

i've been practicing painting with gouache and watercolors right out of the tube - no water added.   it's (usually) best to be patient and let each layer dry before adding another, which i'm not very good at.  the other thing i do is add too much paint - get carried away with layers until i'm confused and don't know whether i'm coming or going.    i do a lot of wiping off...  

colored pencils, graphite, and gouache on collaged and painted page in 'zeta'

the right side of a page - i wiped off most of the paint and then used colored pencils to color the eye and lips back in.  colored pencils never cease to amaze me.

gouche, watercolors, stabilo marks all, and colored pencils in 'zeta'

in the end i wiped almost everything off of this page..


 i liked the smiling dog so i drew a line around him for good measure.   ; )

gouache, stabilo marks all pencil, and watercolors on collaged page in 'zeta'

the page i'm working on now.  i can't see where to go with it, so i'll wait 'til i do.  actually, as i sit here typing, i can see a couple of things right away that  need to change!

but i'm resting from intense gouache education right now...  : )


i wanted to tell you about this staedtler pencil sharpener.  i picked it up a couple of weeks ago at a small art supply store, and it's *the best* handheld pencil sharpener i've tried - and i've tried a bunch.   it's the only sharpener i've found (besides the faber-castell handheld sharpener) that sharpens albrecht durer watercolor pencils.  it sharpens every colored and graphite pencil that i have: tombow, prismacolor, faber castell polychromos, cretacolor, derwent, and lyra.  and that little lid closes so the shavings don't fall out in your bag.

stabilo marks all in stilman and birn gamma - 4" x 6"

i've been having a bunch of fun doing watercolor transfers, which i learned about in this book about gauguin.   all you do is get a piece of watercolor (or any) paper damp (just brush water on until it's damp but not runny wet), then press the damp paper against your watercolor painting - or line drawing, like i've done here.  when you lift the damp paper off you'll have a 'print' of your watercolor.  

on the page above i went over my pencil drawing with a stabilo marks all pencil, then i put a damp piece of watercolor paper (i used saunders waterford 200# cold press) on it, so now i have this image in two places. 
 in case you're wondering, the dark thing in the bottom of the pic is a rock holding the page down... 

watercolors and stabilo marks all in stillman and birn gamma

this is what it looks like now...

watercolors and gouache on arches 100# cotton drawing paper

this is a watercolor transfer of the painting in the last post (in my daily book).  i added more color around the edges, and on her face...

watercolors and gouache on arches 100# cotton drawing paper

from a painting in my daily book - this was the first 'transfer',

watercolors and gouache on arches 100# cotton drawing paper

and this was the second.  of course you can add as much  paint as you want to the new images...    it's truly a lot of fun.

back to the gauguin book...  it's very good and i highly recommend it.  while i love his oil paintings, what stole my heart in the book were his watercolors (and watercolor transfers) and woodblock prints.

colored pencils on rusty can

oh!  the walking days are getting short!


this tree is still alive...

31 comments:

  1. Your faces and ladies and paintings in general are so gorgeous. It is hard to say, this or that is my favorite. They are all so full with dreams and Magic. Your technique is so unique. Thank you for sharing!
    Hugs
    Erika

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  2. These are lovely. I mostly use acrylics but I do have a set of gouache paints I should give them a try. I do not use colour pencils enough either I have two lovely sets hardly used. I will have to get them out and start using them.
    Thank you very much for visiting my blog and leaving such lovely comments.

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  3. Oh My, I do get breathless as I scroll down viewing each and every painting you have completed. They are all so very lovely. I am especially drawn to the girl directly after the fan shape painting, and the two girls following her. Simply stunning. And the watercolor transfer technique is so cool. Thank you for sharing this, I am excited to give it a try. Our summer days have pretty much disappeared in regards to the Sun. Now, we are back to getting lots of rain. Can't complain too much as our summer was so beautiful this year.
    Have a wonderful week!
    Joan

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  4. Lynne - I love your approach(es) - The watercolor transfer trick is wonderful - adds that dreaminess I'm so fond of in your work.
    I'm constantly frustrated trying to sharpen my pencils - so I'm off to give your sharpener a try.
    xxoo

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  5. funny... i pulled out my gouache paints yesterday to make a color chart.i also found the journal i started with them , time to start again.
    xxoo

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  6. I always come away from your page with a shopping list!

    I'll definitely try that watercolour technique but at the moment I'm in love with oil pastels so I have to indulge them first :)

    All your pieces are gorgeous as always but your circled dog and Zeta make me smile so much! I think it's because Zeta reminds me a little of my youngest when she has a pout on! You capture that perfectly.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Lynne, when I visit here, I set aside an hour...this is a blog of such beauty, I cannot be rushed. An immense sense of joy is the gift I receive from you each time. Love&otherstuff. ♥ ♥ ♥

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  8. Oh Lynne...I really love the colored version of the transfer you did...it's so beautiful. Often your watercolor/gouache works in your sketchbooks have a very textured look to them...like frescoes or something. So so beautiful.

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  9. This is such a comprehensive and interesting post Lynne, and you share so much with us. I love the loose painting of the pictures at the top. And I've never heard of the watercolour transfer method before, but I'm dying to try it now.
    I always love all your work, you are so creative and experimental.

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  10. Adore red 22, what can I say? She is a little love spirit, I think. I enjoyed this post so much, over the weekend I picked up a couple of tubes of gauche to play with. They been enticing me for quite some time so I picked up 3 tubes and will add to my paint stash tube by tube as I experiment with them. I love your watercolor transfers, very cool. Also very intrigued by the zeta face, something in there speaks to me. Ha, I've got that same sharpener on my art table and I love it. It is my go to sharpener. I have a whole bunch of them too and since I picked up that one, my search for the perfect sharpener came to an end. It's awesome. Wishing you an beautiful week. Ma nature has sent in some nice fall air and all my windows are open and I am lovin' it. xxooxxxx

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  11. too bad there is not a comment form at the end of each photo and snippet of your writing... but... then i would never get anything done... lol
    just so much to say.. you work is changing right before my eyes... one of the lovely things about following each other on our blogs, we see how it all unfolds and develops... i am enchanted by all your images...xoxo

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  12. OMG! There you go again getting me to want to try all of this! Love, love these pieces! On the first painting the red cheeks, are they done with the guache or pencil? Have to try that watercolor transfer for sure! Have to go back and read what you have written and view again your inspiring art!

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  13. Wow!! Im doing that transfer thing it looks great!! Im also going to try find the sharpener, I have never found any up to the job, ( I love your circled dog BTW it did so make me smile) :) x

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  14. oh so lovely! thank you for the info about the pencil sharpener, too - it's always been such a frustration!

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  15. Oh,my oh my oh my, you have been very busy! I see more color in your work and really love it. Thanks for the tip on watercolor transfer. Am goin' to copy and paste it to Word and print it out to give it a try.
    I envy you your walks. I only take a half hour around our development every morning and although I enjoy every fresh smelling minute of it, I would really like to traverse some rough ground, hills and dales and see REALLY BIG TREES, such as the one you show us. mmmmmmm

    have another blessed ordinary day,
    Adrian

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  16. Hi sweetie wow so many great things in this post ,that sharpener looks good ,and agree good old coloured pencils gotta love em and watercolour my go to things as well..love the transfer idea will have a play with that love what u did...and the tree so glad it's still there lol
    Big hugz

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  17. Dear Lynn,
    I am totally inspired--your work, energy and comments are just what I needed to kick start my fall/winter creative life. The farm is all but put to bed, we leave for Europe next week and I am gathering my travel palette and stuff!!
    Grazie mille,
    Ja

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  18. Oooh, I like the idea of the watercolor transfers!

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  19. for some reason that tree looks like a teepee to me. so awesome to see all your art! love the idea of transfers like you have shared. shall have to give it a try.

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  20. I so love what you bring to this world, Lynne.
    There is such a soft yet strong spirit in all you do.
    Thanks as always for the addition of techniques to try.
    Love and light to you in the shorter walking days.

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  21. i had been missing you. these are all so enchanting. what i adore is your imagination and how you let those characters take to places i would certainly want to be a part of. you never cease to amaze and inspire me. i will keep an eye out for a lynne hoppe for sale since we are about to buy a house and i would love something by you in my bedroom.

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  22. Oh my what loveliness - I have read and looked through this post 5 times already, as there is so much to see, so much beauty to absorb. And those transfers - oh my oh my. Not to sure how many more times I will read it .... lots that is all I know.

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  23. Lovely to see your paintings. I use that pencil sharpener too, it is good.xx

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  24. You know I love everything that you do, but its your mysterious little faces that really draw me in! The first one in this post is just beautiful!
    xO

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  25. And the second, and the third... the second one with half a face is very mysterious!
    xO

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  26. thank you lynn for the little education on gouache. I have been curious for years... shame on me! I think I'm ready to take the plunge is there a brand you prefer?
    I just love your direction, I have your piece on my desk and she just makes me smile! I LOVE the first transfer!!! red 22 is stunning!! hoping you are having a great weekend!! xo

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  27. thank you lynne! you are always so generous and kind!

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  28. omg, i so love what you do. There is such mystery in your work and you always share with such an open heart. LOVE all of this. Thank you Lynne...xox

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    Replies
    1. hi pauline...

      thank you for your nice words... i'm happy to share... : )

      xoxo

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