Friday, March 1, 2013

Laying out my John Pike palette with watercolor

My process of over thinking laying out a watercolor palate.



This is the final result


The new palatte. A John Pike from amazon via a gift card from my parents. The awesome brush as well.


First to pick the colors. I decided to use advice from Making Colors Sing and The Complete Watercolorist's Notebook. I worked to separate the primaries and separate them by cool to warm consistantly on each.  I do this because I am still working on my eye to distinguish the difference.


I put regular tape down first so I could write on the tape. Later I will rewrite with a marker and cover with another piece of tape to protect from the water.


I am interested in knowing and training my eye for 3 things. Cool to warm, transparent or staining, and of course the name and brand of each to replenish later.



Loosely basing the decisions on the two books mentioned before on advice about warm and cool, trans and staining, and how to seperate


Basic layout and verbiage


Close up of the blues with the basic info


I go over the pencil with a pen. I don't erase the pencil because I am too lazy to clean out the little bits of erasure and I am ok at tracing over the older lead.


Once done, I put a second piece of tape to seal it and start the fun part of squeezing out the tape.


The finished product.  Now....to paint.  Hopefully this was helpful. I didn't see anything this clear so I thought I would create it.  I am sure there are things I will learn, but this is something I can work with for a while!  Everything I have is based on travel kits, this is my first at home studio kit.  This palette comes with a cover.  Very cool. Thanks for looking!

JNUTT







4 comments:

  1. Thanks so much James for doing this. While I am much older than you (I am a grandmother so have no generous parents to buy my new palette!!!) I am also at the same stage in preparing my first studio palette and am trying to work out my colours and how to arrange them. This was well done and I found it very helpful. Thanks again - From Adelaide in South Australia

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  2. Hello James could you let me know the make of the clear handled brush please in the second picture. Many thanks

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