More work in progress

Doesn't this look creepy! The kids think I'm painting a zombie mwa ha ha! So, I'm back from a self induced chocolate coma. . . . ready to do more work on this painting.

I've started on a few of my favorite things. . . eyes, nose and mouth! (ok, not really the nose but I guess I'll have to paint it!) I've started defining the eyes with some yellow so they have that "inner glow" when I finish up the details later on and I've started defining the nostril and mouth with some permanent rose and a little blue and burnt sienna.

The eye brows can be tricky and end up looking like they're painted on if your not careful, so I started lightly with burnt sienna and will keep defining them with some other colors as I go, I don't want to over do it just yet!

Ok, back to my chocolate!

Next Step

And I thought Chuchy's hair was a workout! So, now I've started on the hair. . . . again, just straight forward painting, it's good to know your brushes and what they can do for you, which ones will hold lots of water, which ones are more stiff and will "draw" with paint for you. I'm keeping one thing in mind . . . as soon as I finish this step, more chocolate! ! ! ! Ok, not really but it's great incentive! Oh, technique? um, I put water down in the area then float some color into it, push it around, remember shape, lights and eventually darks.

Colors I'm using for the hair is New Gamboge, Permanent Rose, Burnt Sienna, accidentally dipped into the last bit of Ultramarine Blue (you may notice some grayish tone in the upper left area) and some Burnt Umbar.

I also did some work on the skin tone, punching up some of the warm areas with New Gamboge, cooling down the shadowy area with Permanent Rose (I stayed away from the Cobalt Blue this time) and a little more Burnt Sienna.

Now it's time for Chocolate! More soon!

Work In Progress

I haven't really done a full blown "wip" in a long time but I keep getting asked about my process so I thought I'd show you how I do what I do. You may or may not be surprised or disappointed that I paint very straight forward, no tricks, no masking fluids, no white, no stretched paper, not even taped down onto a board, just good old fashioned "brush, paper and water" oh, and I guess paint helps! :0)

The first step is to draw out the image, now drawing to draw is much different than drawing for a painting, I try not to add every little detail because I want to do that with paint. I definitely don't shade anything because the graphite makes colors look dirty. I also try to stay on the lite side with the pencil pressure so I don't have any ghost lines or have the lines show through the pigments where I don't want them to show.

The colors I'm using for this stage is New Gamboge, Permanent Rose, Permanent Blue (because I ran out of Ultra Marine) and a little Burnt Sienna, oh and lots of water! I'm painting on Arches 140lb coldpress paper.

The technique I most like to use is wet into wet because I like watching the colors move around and mix together and also to drop other colors into the wash. I like to say "slop it on and make it work!" and the most important part of any painting for me is to have chocolate while I'm waiting for things to dry! yum!

Stay tuned for more!

Chuchy

"Chuchy" 20"x14" Watercolor

M. refers to himself as "Chuchy" which is such a cute and totally him thing! He is so beautiful and mischievous and full of boy energy! I hear he's got a great ear for music and it doesn't surprise me, he has that rare sense of creative energy around him. I feel like he's another one of my ever growing clan of kids, it will be a joy to watch him grow. On this particular day his hair was somewhat tame which turned out to be a good thing for me painting wise! I can't wait to do another painting of him!

Here's a close up



If you'd like to purchase this painting, please contact me at:
pvlara@sbcglobal.net

This Little Piggy

"This Little Piggy Went To Market" (again) 8"x10" Watercolor


I love my little molcajetes. . . they are one of my fondest memories of my Grandma. I don't know why but I would ask her every single day "what is that and what is it for?" and she would tell me every single time I asked without getting annoyed (that I know of) "it's for making things!"

I've been working on some portraits and can't wait to show you, in the mean time, I painted this "little" one so I could post something new. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed hearing my granny in the wind.


If you're interested in purchasing it, please contact me at:
pvlara@sbcglobal.net