Counter life 2
Posted: April 28, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized 14 CommentsI don’t know about you but I sometimes wander around my house aimlessly, trying to figure out what to sketch during this social distancing period. Eventually when I’m able to get outside, my garden will provide some good subject matter, but in the meantime, I think I’ll stick with the countertop series. I’m giving myself the challenge of using a different treatment every day (yesterday was watercolour, today is gouache) as well as trying to learn something new each time. I’m working on Fabriano paper in a very special handmade sketchbook given to me by a friend in Australia.
Of course each time I play with gouache, I learn something new about colour mixing, but today I was also trying to look at a highly reflective black surface (my kitchen counter) and see how I could evoke that in my sketch. It’s a lot easier to do this in gouache than in watercolour, because I can add light on top of dark. As for tomorrow’s sketch, casein, possibly??
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
The reflections are really great. I can see the shine!
LikeLike
Hi Shari
I am normally more partial to watercolour – but I do find your water glass in today’s gouache, magnificent!
LikeLike
Daffodils are always happy flowers. You did accomplish the reflections of the black counter. I love gouache and didn’t know this was as I looked at the painting before I read what you wrote.
Shari, I don’t know if this is the place to comment on your class but I didn’t see anywhere else to do so. I just finished watching you paint that complicated building and garden. Amazing. This is an excellent class and you are truly an excellent teacher. I learned a lot just by watching you paint and explainng what and why you were doing all of it. And what a gorgeous painting! I recommend this class highly. Can’t say enough good things about it. Hope you do more.
LikeLike
HI Judy, This is a perfect place to comment about the class. I’m so glad you liked it. I worked really hard on the content, so when people give me this kind of wonderful feedback, it makes me so happy. I am also keeping your comment and using it as a testimonial somewhere. Is that ok?? I really appreciate this.
LikeLike
Of course it is ok.
LikeLike
Love the black counter top treatment! I’m really looking forward to your daily blogs, as they are so motivating…and I learn from seeing how you tackle so much detail in one painting.
It’s spring here on the west coast, so I am seeing gorgeous blooms everywhere, inside and outside! Can’t get enough of them 🙂
KPeri
LikeLike
That reflection on the countertop was the first thing that I noticed! Love it!
I struggle with reflections and shadows- amongst a score of other skills!!
Pam
LikeLike
Whoa! Yes! The reflections!! Perfect!!
LikeLike
That black countertop is so classy and makes reflections shine. I’m having trouble looking for something in the house to hold my attention enough to find something to sketch. Your sketches remind me that there are still life set ups in every room. Thanks for finding beauty in the mundane of daily life.
LikeLike
Shari,
Three of us art friends were zooming today, we had all just finished your garden painting class, which we enjoyed and also learned a lot…are your ears burning!
We have only one suggestion: we were wishing you had mentioned what size paper we should use for the painting. We had all coincidentally worked on paper about 5” x 7” and wished we had used larger paper.
Your bonus brush demo was excellent. Good ideas. So that’s how to use that large mop brush I purchased years ago,
Again, many thanks for teaching us so many good techniques.
Claire Russell
LikeLike
HI Claire,
Yes, my ears were burning. So glad you did this class with friends on Zoom. What a great idea.
Did you guys take a look at the list of materials that is supplied with the course? On there, I include the sketchbook that I use. The size is indicated on there! Hopefully that will help for next time. And glad you liked the brush demo too!
Thanks for writing and thanks for taking the class too!
Shari
LikeLike
I’m taking an online drawing course right now and one of the assignments was “industrial home”. All those areas we don’t usually think of as subjects. The furnace, fuse box, pipes under the sink….maybe that can be a topic for your next series.
Love seeing your work, no matter the subject matter.
LikeLike
Wonderful reflections on the counter and the items on it. Nice work with the gouache! I’ll have to pull mine out. I haven’t used it in quite a while. Love how you are using a new material each time.
LikeLike
Thanks Joan. I am enjoying these exercises!
LikeLike