1. I keep my supplies (Sketch Box of Colors, Pencils, Pens, Erasers, Paper Towels, Water Brushes, & a variety of Binder Clips) in a quart size Ziplock Bag or an old small tub with my Sketchbooks. That wayI can easily grab them to put in my purse, backpack, or whatever I’m using to travel with. I use the Binder Clips to hold down pages in the book, paper on my clipboard or to hold my sketch box of colors to my clipboard. 2. After learning these drawing and watercolor techniques, I’m finding I can now add more detailed data to my science practices and experiences. It gives a deeper understanding of knowledge gained and found in my observations.

This is my first try at a landscape in the field.  I was actually so focused on trying to paint the landscape, keep all my materials handy, mix colors, and keep the flies and sweatbees off me that I forgot to make any other observations.  I really need to work on that.  I also realize that I should pick a focus area because there can be a lot to look at in a landscape.  I do like the wet on wet technique because it gives such a loose feel to the painting.

This is a sketch from a photo that my husband took. The momma deer had just given birth to her fawn hours before we came across them in the early morning.

This was a fun project, and although I see some areas that could have been better, I am happy overall with my first attempt at watercolor from a photo.  I chose a great blue heron because they have been at the lakes on the conservation area I have been visiting lately.  They are quite interesting to watch.  Their beak is like a dagger.  Anyway, here is my painting, and, as you can see, I smudged the eye and dragged the color through an area I wanted to be white.  I tried to add water to lighten it, but didn't want to mess up the paper there.

Went for a walk this morning. Thinking of sketching, but maybe not, it was super bright and getting hot. Came to this Datura, which I have always walked past because it is too complicated to try.  So I did walk past, but I came back, encouraged by what I have learned and by what you all do. Unfolded my little three legged stool and sat down, determined to show one of the hundred blossoms on the five foot wide plant.  My goal was to paint what I saw, not what I thought as normally happens and which usually ends in frustration. Because of a few trips outside to sketch I am slowly learning what I think I need, and I am filling the many pockets of a birding/artist style vest. After I drew with pen and ink I started coloring with the goal of showing the white blossom and stages of the plant.  While it is far from perfect, I did accomplish some of the things I hoped for.  Thanks for looking, and we can do this.

For my first attempt at watercolor I think I did ok.  I still have trouble with proportion and I’m too impatient, so some of the paper got a little overworked. I really enjoy the courses they are a challenge.  Everyone is very supportive so that also adds to the pleasure.

I keep my materials all together in a bag as well.  I have only begun painting outside and I think I need  a few weights to keep things from blowing away.

This was fun and I learned much from it.  I have a century plant blooming in my yard.  The stalk is higher than my house and loaded with buds. Every morning a Gila Woodpecker comes and announces his presence with a sqawk.  Until the desert heat hit, I love sitting and waiting for his arrival.  I think my biggest takeaway from this is to really make sure the paint is dry before adding another layer.  It also showed me how tough it is to know how dry or wet to get my brush.  I think I need to play with the paint more to get a feel of that.  Thanks for all the good demos and teaching

For question #1: I have a separate little drawstring bag I keep my field journal and watercolors in so I can throw it in my purse or backpack when I want to do some nature journaling. Having everything in one smaller pouch makes a big difference for me to keep things clean and organized. For question #2: I love having a smaller pair of birding binoculars handy when nature journaling. For #3: I’m sharing a few of the wildflower watercolors I’ve done recently to capture some of the more unique flowers that grow in Texas.

Liz makes painting outdoors look so simple! I had my first experience painting in my garden, perched on a stool, balancing my pallet between journal pages; clutching a folded paper towel and trying not to drop my water brush or drip paint on my leg. My first obstacle was finding a location where I wasn't looking at the bright whiteness of sun or dancing tree shadows on the page, and still had an uninterrupted view of my subject and was out of the wind and drifts of white pine pollen.  I did manage a half hour outside getting the basics of my "St Francis " garden, before a rumble of thunder chased me indoor to finish. The result looks like I forgot most every technique Liz taught us while her words ring in my head; "Art is a skill--whatever you put into it is what you'll get out of it--the only reason I'm good at drawing (and painting) is I do it every day."  I'll keep at it until painting outdoors becomes a breeze!  Kathy B.

I haven't taken them yet to the field, because you know... the whole situation right now. But I got really happy with the results on putting all the skills together to draw animals. I mostly used wet on dry, given the paper I'm using is not as sturdy as I would like to hold lots of water. I wished Liz would go a bit more in detail on good paper to use for different sorts of works, since I know paper in watercolours is even more important than the paints. On and all I really appreciated this module and I'm only sad that the course is ending!

I found that the water brushes don't work for me but regular water color brushes. I loved painting this and it's by far my best watercolor painting...ever. Putting it all together worked well. 

I have been working with the water colors trying to create depth with just the color, instead of the pencil.  I came across this delightful photograph and I just had to draw it and color it.  

Liz - I want to thank you for these lessons in watercolor.  I haven't started working on them yet, but I've learned so much in the past few days of watching how to blend colors, doing palettes and watching the start to finish video.  I took a watercolor course a long time ago and gave up on it because there was very little instruction and I felt like I was really out of my element.  Since that time I've always felt that I was color challenged and wouldn't be able to do watercolor.  After watching these videos, I feel that I may just be able to do this!  Your instruction is very, very helpful!  Thanks for giving me a boost into watercolor!

L

Advantage of a rainy day - I decided to attempt to use the metallic/florescent watercolors that I received when I first ordered to see what I could do. Others have mentioned they also got this pallet by mistake - it doesn’t contain a black or any flat color. Our only local hummingbird is the ruby throated, and it has iridescent colors, so that was my pick. This was from a photo in Stokes Field Guide - I found I could add some darkness with my pencil which I wouldn’t have tried if I’d had the regular color palette. So a good experiment.

It’s been pouring rain the last couple of days so no outdoor fun. I went back to one of my earlier journal entries to fill in a picture of the Caspian Tern - we see a lot of them flying up and down the Lake Michigan shore, and I’d seen several that day. My journal is more wordy, lots of text, little room for pictures, but filled this in trying to use some of the new water color techniques I have been learning. I’ve got to work on the wash technique. I needed to keep a lot of white for the tern. Adding the blue sky after the fact was tricky and it’s uneven. I also used a reference pic from Stokes Field Guide. Definitely need to practice watching the real thing!

I haven’t taken my kit outdoors yet because it’s peak migration season here and I’m moving around too much.  But I did make this journal page from a reference photo I took in the field.

And another.  

Here is another.  

I finally got brave enough to try color on my drawings, actually copies of my drawings, copies onto watercolor paper.  I am not totally pleased with them but here they are and I would like suggestions from any  other students.