The 30x30 Watercolor Challenge for June

Since 2007, the subtitle of my blog has been Daily Painting Practice to Grow as a Painter. The masthead artwork of my blog is from a 15x22” watercolor that I painted directly without preliminary drawing. As you can see, from the beginning I have included many of my watercolors that were “direct paintings”.

I’ve been painting a majority of my watercolors  directly without preliminary drawing.for years. When it comes to architecture or portraits I generally depend on a light pencil drawing or even a sketch in pen for line and wash.

All this took place before I ever became aware of the urban sketching international group or any of the pivotal people involved. Fast forward to the present and I am pleased to be a blog correspondent for Seattle USK and a faculty member for the Urban Sketchers 10x10 Workshop Program. In fact, I just finished my Spring Workshop, First Steps into Visual Journaling.

Imagine my excitement when Marc Taro Holmes announced a new online watercolor challenge and Facebook group just for this event!

Naturally, I’m in! Are you?

Looking for the FAQ/Announcement < click here!

I Call It “The Unicycle “ of Watercolor

The unicycle of watercolor 

I call it the unicycle of watercolor because you can make ONE entire color WHEEL from a SINGLE  primary triad. It's minimal, takes a little skill to become expert with it but it will get you around any landscape or urban sketch with a minimum of extraneous baggage. And I RE-CYCLED my empty eyeshadow case!

Materials:

1 empty eyeshadow case, washed and dried 

A sponge cut to fit the applicator tray*

Three primary watercolors:

1. Phthalo Blue (RS) Daler-Rowney 
2. Quinacridone Rose (M Graham)
3. Permanent Lemon Deep (Holbein)

Mix your colors in the lid when travel sketching.

*Use the dampened sponge to clean your waterbrush between colors

I surprised my watercolor class this morning  by giving this away in a drawing. Congratulations to Joan for winning the drawing!

Where Shall I drop this Urban Sketch?

We have an exciting weekend in urban sketching ahead! First, I'll be teaching my 10x10 USK Workshop on First Steps into Visual Journaling on Saturday. The workshop is sold out but I will be posting some tips and hints in the next few days and after the workshop as well. Follow me here and on Instagram. Set up alerts so you can see a real time hint when I drop this piece.

I'm hoping some of my students will be enthused with their new confidence and urban sketching skills and come to the monthly outing on Sunday at Wallingford Center. I'll be there to cheer you on!

So where shall I drop this? On Saturday or Sunday? I could use some suggestions to overcome my dilemma. Update: OK, tomorrow it is, Sunday the 20th at Wallingford Center sometime during the monthly sketch outing. Come join us for urban sketching in Seattle!

Going to abandon this greeting card with sketch print on the coming weekend during USK event.

Ready for my USK 10x10 Students

I’m ready for my students in Seattle for the new USK 10x10 Spring series of urban sketching workshops. My class is sold out but those on the waiting list have priority for registration for my next one August 25. Meanwhile, here’s a peek at a few perks for you students who are ready to take your “First Steps into Visual Journaling”. See you soon!

Intro to Watercolor weekend was a blast!

This was our classroom at the end of the Spring Introduction to Watercolor Workshop at Kirkland Arts Center this weekend. What a lovely bunch of brand new watercolorists!

Winner! Congratulations to Melania for winning one of my original watercolor greeting cards fresh off the demonstration board this afternoon!

May Challenges for Daily Practice

Now that you have got the daily sketching and drawing habit, what will you do? I'd like to direct your attention to two new challenges with prompts for each day in May.

If you take a look at the right sidebar, you will see a familiar badge for Charlie O'Toole's DoodlewashMay2018 challenge. This month's theme is "Smile Makers". Click the image or go to the links listed on the badge for more information.

The different list below is another challenge that prompts you to draw Every Day in May. There is a Facebook Group that you can join and post your daily work and a Flickr group where you can share your images.

I'm not promising to fulfill any one else's muse this month but I have a whole lot of art to make and classes in progress and upcoming workshops to teach. Subscribe here or follow me on Instagram @michelecooperart to stay in the loop! Practice is fun! I hope you'll join me!