36 cm x 51 cm; watercolor on 140-lb Arches paper

Blog Post 95

This is the painting technique of Chinese painter Lian Quantizing Zhen–a mix of realism (for the focus) and impressionism (for the background images). I set aside this painting for a more urgent work which took several months to finish. Then I continued and finished it just lately.

I began this painting by determining where the focus should be–the fully ripe, purple bunch  hanging on the left side of the painting. Then I poured watercolor mixes on wet paper–yellow, green, and ochre on places for leaves; ochre on places for vines; and purple (mix of blue and red), blue and yellow on places where grapes should hang from the vines. I used my right index finger in forming bunches of grapes. Lastly, I finished the painting using a round, medium size sable branch.

20 cm x 18 cm; watercolor on 140-lb Arches paper

Blog Post 94

This is my take on Yuko Nagayama’s ‘Apples and Berries’. (See ‘You Can Paint Vibrant Watercolors in Twelve Easy Lessons’ (cover and pp. 2, 5, 6-11, 15. 16). I started t by sketching one apple, laying down a yellow underpainting but leaving some white spaces for highlights. After drying, I painted a lighter red tone over the yellow underpainting, dried it, and then touched a deeper red color to make the apple 3D.

A fresh apple which was lit by a desk lamp was my constant reference for painting shadows and highlights.

Brushes used: Silver Brush sable brush #s 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Watercolors used: Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, and Holbein

20 cm x 18 cm; watercolor on 140-lb Arches paper

Blog Post 93

I started this painting by reviewing how to paint Chinese roses. Then, I added an angry Maya to serve as the focus of the painting.

Brushes used: Silver Brush sable brush #s 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Watercolors used: Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, and Holbein

 

 

30.5 cm x 22 cm; watercolor on 14-lb watercolor paper

Blog Post 92

What’s so mysterious about the lotus flower? It submerges every night into the murky river water. Then, it miraculously re-blooms the next morning, without any mud streak on its petals.

Watercolor on 14-lb Archers watercolor paper, 18 cm x 18 cm

Blog Post 91

This is my take on Yuko Nagayama’s impressionist painting of a bouquet of roses. I had a chance to watch her watercolor impressionism workshop session on January 5, 2019, from 10 A. M.-4:00 P. M. at La Fuerza Plaza, Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

The painting above was not the one she demonstrated, but it was my study based on on one of her paintings in her book, ‘You Can Paint Vibrant Watercolors in Twelve Easy Lessons’.

Acrylic on canvas; 46 cm x 61 cm

Blog Post 90

I usually paint landscapes while on tour. This was the painting I started while in San Francisco, California in 2018. Good I took a photo before I left the place. So, whatever needs to completed, I was able to do, through the photo I took.

It was late spring when my family was in Land’s End, one of the most famous places in San Francisco, California–a bit sunny, but still foggy at a distance where the Golden Gate Bridge could be seen.

 

Acrylic on leatherette pencil case; front (left) and back sides; 27 cm x 15 cm

Blog Post 89

I painted White Chrysanthemums on my pencil case so I can easily identify it when ‘pack up’ time comes, ending painting workshops I attend.

I used five left-over artist-grade paints left on my palette: titanium white, lamp black, lemon yellow, yellow ochre, and burnt Sienna; i. e.:

-for the bamboo fence: a mix of burnt Sienna and lamp black;

-for the stems: a mix of lemon yellow, yellow ochre, and lamp black;

-for the leaves: a mix of lemon yellow and lamp black to make olive green;

-for the flowers: titanium white for petals; and lamp black for the outline of petals.

So don’t just leave left-over paints on your palette, especially artist-grade paints. Use them to personalize your things, like the painting I did on my pencil case.