Monday at Pike Place, Pencil Sketch

Pike Place sketch, pencil
Original 7"x10" (two facing pages)

This is typical of my quick pencil sketches in preparation for a watercolor painting. It takes only about 10 minutes or less. I use this method to work out my composition, capture fleeting effects of light and shadow and eliminate unnecessary detail.

Watercolor Starter Kits for Beginners

 For those starting watercolor for the first time, it can be an expensive enterprise to buy all the supplies you need for your first class.

Maybe you're not even sure you will like watercolor and just want to try it out.

I've put together a Watercolor Starter Kit especially for those taking my classes and Art & Wine Workshops.

Cost: $25.00  (delivered in class or pick up at my studio)

What's Inside:
1 mechanical pencil with eraser
1 waterproof  support for watercolor paper
1 high quality 12-color watercolor paint set, semi-moist pans
2 watercolor brushes, 1 small detail and 1 large round
3 sheets of 140# professional quality watercolor paper (can be used on both sides)
Helpful pages on color mixing, technique and more,  to get you started.

Just enough to get you started the first day of class and keep you going for the rest of an eight week series. (It comes with enough paper to get started, but you will need to resupply as you use it up.)

New DVD Release--Homer's "Gloucester Boys"

Step by Step 20 minute lesson on DVD

Here's a first look at the cover of my new watercolor  instructional DVD, Homer's "Gloucester Boys."
Release date:
August 31, 2012

The cover art shows the demonstration painting in the lesson.  Discover watercolor secrets of simplifying figures as Michele Cooper demonstrates Winslow Homer's "Gloucester Boys", step by step.

Learn how to simplify the figure into two basic shapes, create strong contrasts of light and shadow, drop in color for skin tones and use specific brushwork for soft and rough edges. There is a bonus section of photo references so that you, too, can create dozens of your own simple but effective watercolor figures.

Price: $20.00 for one DVD plus $5.00 S&H

"Flooded Fields 3" - Corrective Measures

Here's the third of 3 installments of my new watercolor demonstration video, "Flooded Fields".

It's commonly thought that you can't make corrections in watercolor....once it's on the paper, it's there for good. In Part 3 of my new video, I show you two reasons to change the "finished" painting and the methods you might use to accomplish it. Get ready to use an X-Acto blade and paint over the entire foreground of a "finished" painting.

There are a few tips on color mixing and brushwork, too.

Please let me know what you think. Once you watch it, don't forget to give it a thumbs up if you "like" it. Thanks for watching Parts 1 and 2 and for your kind words and comments.

"Flooded Fields 2" - The Foreground

Here's the second of 3 installments of my new watercolor demonstration video, "Flooded Fields". Please let me know what you think. Once you watch it, don't forget to give it a thumbs up if you "like" it. Thanks for watching Part 1 and for your kind words and comments.

Tomorrow, I will post Part 3.

"Flooded Fields 1" New Video

Here's the first of 3 installments in my new watercolor demonstration video, "Flooded Fields". Please let me know what you think. Once you watch it, don't forget to give it a thumbs up if you "like" it.

Tomorrow, I will post Part 2.

Flooded Fields

Flooded Fields
Original Watercolor
by Michele Cooper

I've just finished the rough cut of my video of this painting. It's got lots of unorthodox watercolor tricks, like painting the darks first, using a knife blade to recover whites and testing out washes over the "finished" painting.

Would you like to see the video? Stay tuned!

Bear at Woodland Park Zoo

 Bear at Woodland Park Zoo
15x22" Original Watercolor
by Michele Cooper

Since we were immersed in Winslow Homer's hunting and fishing adventures last weekend, I thought I might post one of my own trophies. No canoes, guns, camping or guides, just a family membership to Woodland Park Zoo and my field painting kit.

Day Two of the Homer Workshop

Grace, Tamara, Nancy, Karen and Jennifer (standing in for Cherry) hard at work.


My artwork examples









Demonstration at my table.






Free to work on their own paintings for the rest of the afternoon.

Day One of the Homer Workshop

 Here we are, the supplies for our two day workshop on Winslow Homer, ready to enter the gallery and get to work.

 Students working at their color exercises and sketching their compositions.

 


Books, paints, reference photos, visual aids and more available to use during the workshop.