Manny’s Watercolour Adventure

21/01/11

Haven't touched the watercolour gear because I'm helping with the clean up and helping re-build our Art Shed store, following the floods.

Every time I walk past my set up at home, I ache to get back to it.

Soon... real soon.

While I was in New Zealand, I tried my first plein air watercolour. I quickly realized my set up was inadequate. I had assorted gear in four different bags and it took what seemed like half an hour to set up!

Then, people seemed to come out of the woodwork to gawk at my feeble attempts. Of course it was impossible but I learned my lessons. I need ONE BAG which will fit all the gear. I need a wire hook to suspend from my easel for my water pot. I need a platform on my easel on which to rest my sponge and other bits. Most of all, I need a T shirt with " I can't paint and talk at the same time" or " I don't really care if your aunt Edna used to paint watercolours".

Actually, the spectators were all really lovely and no one had an aunt named Edna.

More soon.

Cheers! 

03/01/11

Hello again everyone.

We're getting ready to travel and I'm happy to be taking watercolours with me. They are light and compact. Being waterbased means no dramas at the airports (I hope). I'm going to take a couple of watercolour pads with me, no larger than A4 since we tend to zip around to see as many places as possible.

Another advantage is that my entire watercolour painting set up takes up no more than about two square meters in my home. It occupies one half of my computer desk. Here's a pic.

With this arrangement, my "studio" is right in the heart of my living space so there's less chance of procrastination. Furthermore, I have the luxury of working from computer images. So far, there are only a few tiny spatters of paint on my screen.

Despite the low cost of the Mont Marte field easel you can see it works a treat. It's tiltable top is ideal for adjusting the angle of my paper quickly. Having adjusted the tightness of the single lever, I just angle it up or down without having to fiddle with knobs. The lower knob is ideal for hanging either my adhesive tape or rags upon. You can see I'm using two palettes. I'm trying out the airtight plastic variety against the metal one on the left. More on these when I've done some mileage with them.

I'm also getting a feel for some of the different brushes. I really think the Mont Marte Hake is every bit as good as the dearer ones from other brands. Hakes seem to be ideal for large areas of washes. They also facilitate beautiful sweeps of "dry brush" technique ( where only the peaks of the paper surface pick up pigment). I'm using a variety of squirrel, sable and synthetics. I'll reserve my comments until I'm more experienced with them.

So much to report. 

More soon.

Cheers.

Manny

02/01/11

Hi.

Happy New Year. Holidays are great. Spent several hours painting watercolours yesterday and today.

Since skies are so important I thought I'd start with them. I tried a graduated wash (darker at the top and lighter towards the horizon).

Then I tried a vareigated wash (one with different colours.... blue at top and warm yellow at  the bottom). Later I tried putting in some clouds and their darker underbellies.

This sky was half successful with just a slight gradation of the warm towards the horizon, then some purple based on the sky colour dropped in.

The next sky is too busy and the cloud shadows are wrong. I will have to try different amounts of water in the brush. It seems this is the one big issue on which the medium depends.

I realize that clouds lifted out by using a tissue, can leave a hard edge, depending on how wet the paper was to start with.

Love the texture of Canson's Arches "rough" paper. Learned that the squirrel copper wire brushes hold alot of water.

I will watch Ron Ranson's video on painting skies and keep practicing different skies. Meg and I are off to N.Z. for a spell... should get lots of pics for inspiration.

Cheers everyone.

Manny

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29/12/10

Hello.

My New Year resolution is to improve my watercolour technique.

I’m going to make my progress public (to share my journey and to keep myself from giving up)

I love the glow of watercolour paintings. Previously, my attempts have failed. I believe it’s the most difficult medium to master…but here goes!

Please feel free to email comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

I resolve to improve my watercolour painting. Here’s my plan:

1. Do at least a few small watercolours every week.

2. Study books and DVD’s on the subject and attend demos.

3. Share my experience, tips and hints in a blog on our website and post pics of my progress (or otherwise).

Materials (my Christmas presents to myself):

Squirrel “copper wash” brushes

Several other brushes to to trial

Professional watercolour paints from Art Spectrum, Winsor and Newton and the Schmincke range in our store.

Various watercolour paper types

Palettes, sponges, a brush holder.

Collapsible water containers.

Portable tripod easel with tilt top

Some inspiration and tuition:

Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic’s DVD’s on watercolour painting.

Below is one of my previous attempts. This is supposed to be a brooding sky. The unfinished land mass is in pencil at the bottom. 

I have almost no watercolour experience. Note the cauliflowers and balloons and runs etc. 

At lease I can't get much worse!

Hi Everyone,

I’m delighted with the review my DVD’s were given by Dr Darby. He is a highly regarded expert in the field of visual arts in Victoria. Here’s what he’s posted on his website:

Just Draw is an action demonstration by an outstanding artist who undertakes life drawing from the model on screen. Not only does it provide direct and observable access to the artist’s own technical prowess, it takes us on an inspiring Zen-like journey from the beginning of his drawings through to their completion. And, his on-going descriptions of what he is doing provide real insights into his thinking and working processes and the challenges he meets along the way. I found the approach taken in Just Draw suitable both for beginners and for those more advanced. While the DVD does not purport to replace the teacher, it seemingly provides everything budding students from all levels need to begin drawing confidently from the model. I found it to be an excellent resource for anyone interested in drawing – or even daunted by it. Imaginative, instructional, encouraging and totally positive.

Just Draw provides over an hour of invaluable instruction and demonstration and over 3 X ½ hours of ‘real’ models posing for the artist’s drawings - and these are 'live models' not just still photographs. They actually move and breath! Each of the poses last for 30 minutes, providing an in-depth experience for those who view them. The poses vary considerably and some are deliberately challenging to provide interest for those seeking to represent form, solidity and fluidity on a two-dimensional surface. This approach brings to life what has usually been poorly and boringly produced in books. It captures the immediacy and directness of actual life drawing classes. It’s as though you are looking at the model and standing right beside the artist. And, he seems to predict your next question (whispered of course!). Imagine being able to set homework or additional skill development tasks in class utilizing such a tasteful and artistic DVD that has been beautifully filmed using expert lighting, production and editing processes. The DVD could even be projected onto a large screen for instruction and demonstration tasks.

I must admit that after watching Just Draw I was enthused to draw from the model more myself and to return as a student to life drawing classes. It is an excellent resource for all Art Departments in schools and Tertiary Institutions. I surprisingly also found it provided me with activities and tasks that I can readily introduce into my own classes, hence it has positive value as a program planning devise and not just an art activity support. Some of the approaches can even be adapted to other aspects of drawing and painting. I will certainly use it as important support when teaching future life drawing classes, many of them with adults.

Just Draw is a must for all schools interested in life drawing and for teachers interested in developing and improving their own skills and techniques. I wish I’d had access to it in teh past when introducing my own students to this challenging experience. In fact, I think I might quit this review and ‘go and do some life drawing’.

 

 

Dr Max Darby

Thank you for reading.

Cheers

Dr Manny

Click here for video of Just Draw with Dr Manny >>

Click to buy Just Draw with Dr Manny >>

Hi everyone,

Boy life's busy. Especially nearing Christmas.

We've had two wonderful demos in a row. Damien Kamholtz was truly inspirational. 

You must check out his work. Google him and be amazed. Also, my demo on 

Drawing Made Easy and Fun, was.... fun! Thanks to everyone who expressed positive feedback. 

I really appreciate it. 

Damien is the handsom fellow in the top pic. I'm drawing a hand, below.

Cheers till next time.

Manny  28/11/10

Hello fellow artists,

Exciting news! We have SOAPSTONE. Ours is the West Australian Flamestone variety.

We are the sole distributors for this lovely stone.

This is not the usual pale grey fractured talc stone that got around in the past.

Ours has beautiful tan, grey and green-grey colours. Some pieces have a redish ochre hue.

Check with the store for sizes and prices please. Here is a pic of representative colours.

in our art bookshop; instore.

AND... our art show, our very own staff art show: AFTER HOURS  

at Circle Gallery upstairs from Art Shed Brisbane, Friday 4th June till Wed 9th June.

If you've ever wondered whether we put our paint brushes where our mouths are.... come see for yourselves!

Hope to see you there.

cheers,

Manny.

Dr Manuel Petavrakis  (Dr Manny)

“The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour…”   (Robert Smith)

Dr Manuel Petavrakis (Dr Manny)

I am a family doctor, practicing part time in Brisbane. The rest of my time is spent helping my wife Meg run our art store, Art Shed Brisbane and our new School Art Supplies. We have also set up Circle Gallery for emerging artists to show their work. I run a life drawing group and have recently produced an art programme for television, (The Way Of The Artist) and a how-to-draw DVD (Just Draw!). My wife Meg and I are passionate about spreading the joy of creativity in our community.