AGAVE - 3

I began to paint the spikes using watercolor (a blend of dark blue and dark brown for the black and quin. rose for the pink) and tried to lose the whites along some of the edges of the leaves.  I used a mix of sap green, hooker green and some turquoise to mix a green that approximated the color of the ink.  I also decided that some of those lines I had miskited in on the leaves were too stark and had to go, so I began softening some of those areas with the Magic Eraser (as Barb did) and adding some yellows to lighten some areas, and some green to darken some of the lines.

Working leaf by leaf and making adjustments darker or lighter, I worked around the agave.  I decided the white highlights on the leaves were too stark and used a thin watery mix of my greens to dumb them down.  I also darkened some of the area behind the leaves.

I consider this one complete, and a satisfactory rendition of Barb’s technique.  I don’t think it’s nearly as good as the original w/c agave – photo below (which I hope I locate again some day).

It was fun to pour since I haven’t done that in a while.  Now I’m going to pour a peony using the inks and see how that one goes – just going to do it the way I would normally. 

AGAVE - 2

Once that had dried, I decided to add some of those lines that appear on the agave leaves and miskited those in.  Then I added another layer of greens, slightly darker in some areas.

Since it would be a while before I got back to the painting, in order to keep the ink from drying out, I poured it into some small bottles with lids.

At this point in her painting, Barb began painting in watercolor.  However, I just couldn’t let that ink go to waste, so I painted a layer of ink at this point, using it just like I would watercolor.  When that layer dried I removed the miskit.

AGAVE - 1

Several years ago I had painted an agave in watercolor.  It was poured, everyone loved it (including me!) but now . . . . I cannot find it – anywhere.  So far this is the only painting I have lost and considering what a mess my house is, that’s an amazing feat.

So, now I’ve painted another one, using the same photo, and attempted Barb Sailor’s  technique.  I’m used to using fluid acrylic, but Barb thinks that acrylic inks have more punch, and judging by the resounding colors in her paintings, she is probably correct.  The only inks I have are the Ph. Martin Bombay India inks which I had used previously on the glass bottles.

First I used the tracing I had from my original painting and traced it onto a half sheet of watercolor paper (Arches 140#).  Barb used miskit to outline each leaf and any additional whites she wanted to retain. 

She uses Pebeo Drawing Gum which is what I usually use; if I run out I’ll buy Winsor Newton and prefer the original yellow over the white which dries “invisible”.  I’ve only had a problem one time with the Pebeo going bad – it will last a long time if I make sure it has a tight seal.  I’ve found that the WN white goes bad quickly – as a matter of fact, any of the white miskits seem to do that - I don’t know why.  The WN yellow seems to last but not as long as the Pebeo.  Also, the Pebeo has a depression in the cap that you can pour your miskit into.  Since I’m not able to buy Pebeo locally I order it from either Jerry’s, ASW or Cheap Joe.

Once the miskit had dried I poured some green inks into some small plastic cups and added some water.  I added some turquoise to one of the greens, and also poured some blue into a cup.  I already had my pre-mixed yellow green – if you will recall my fiasco with the inks a while back!  

Then I wet the paper by spraying it – Barb used a brush.  Using my greens in a pipette I dripped the greens around the paper trying to keep the colors contained by the miskit like Barb did.  I was not very successful with that!

AGAVE

Here is my next try with Steve’s technique, again utilizing analogous colors, in this case thalo blue, ultramarine turquoise, sap green, rich green gold, bismuth, nickel titanate azo; quinacridone rose was added (all Daniel Smith colors).

Again, I began with the miskit pour, then poured analogous colors, then put in some darks.

Here are photos of the steps followed for this painting of an agave - some of the colors are a little "off" due to my photography skills!

Miskit pour.

First paint pour.

Second pour and miskit removed.

Completed painting above; once again, I’m happy with the result utilizing this technique.

Agave, 11x15, watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 CP