1. My most inspiring session/lesson was learning I was using some of these techniques but didn’t know that I just needed to keep practicing daily to see improvement. Also while doing my latest nature journaling of some of our calves, it really helped to use the layering technique and wait for the paint to completely dry between putting the colors on. I’ve learned that I need to just relax, take my time on some journaling sessions and that sometimes a quick sketch is just as good as a detailed complete drawing. 2. I have yet to try any of the suggested journaling projects, but I have read quite a few that I would like to do. Thank you 😊 Liz for the valuable lessons, encouragement, and guidance along the way. To the fellow classmates/students thanks for sharing your opinions, suggestions, artwork, and comments. This was a very interesting course that I will continue to comeback to for refreshing my skill, continue learning and definitely recommend others to try.
Some of my favorites not mentioned already- Claude Monet, John James Audubon, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Vincent Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, Susan Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, & Sir David Attenborough. I find that I have similar perspectives with each of them and connect to the peacefulness, relaxation, and the wonders of exploring the natural world especially more in the time of Covid-19. Thank you to all of the fellow students who have shared suggestions, support, and insight throughout this course. Thanks Liz.
I was more confident to apply watercolors to my drawing this time. I used all the various techniques in applying the colors. I also noticed that my use of perspective (measuring) in the various sizes of the branches and leaves, along with the bird is better in relation to each other & helps make the drawing realistic and 3-D. I do know that I want to continue to work on the finer details of applying color to my drawings. I need to add a finer detail brush to my supplies.
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.
1. Well without knowing anything about watercolors before this course, I have been using all 3 of them without knowing it. I use the Wet on Dry more than the others, but using Wet on Wet is more comfortable with the water brush. I also feel that I have more control of the amount of water released. As for some tips, I’ve found that I need to work in sections so that some of my drawing can dry to make layers. Also if I put down a very neutral base wash of color first then building upon that it gives my drawings a bit more depth. 2. Knowing the actual meaning of the terms I now know how to make sharp details or blending colors for different textures, sky, & water.
Hello Koen. Gorgeous looking feathers and the specific details of each technique are definitely easier to see in your drawings. Thanks for sharing this.
1. Taking this course is my first experience with watercolors, although before beginning working on this course I tried out the brush & just using the colors in the set as they were on a couple of drawings. I really love the brush with this set & the water in the brush instead of using the traditional brush & watercolors. This way is much easier than the other at being able to control the amounts of color applied on the brush & the fact that you don’t have to pre-wet the paper, which is always difficult for me with traditional watercolors.
2. I have created a 150 color palette 🎨 chart for my whole set of 30 colors; as is on the original palette, as tints, tones with Payne’s Gray, tones with 1/2 white & 1/2 Payne’s Gray, and shades. I haven’t done a subject yet, because I was curious to the outcome of the 30 color palette breakdown first. Not sure yet on all the colors, especially when it comes to the making of shades. That one is very tricky with adding the black. I need to work on that part still.
3. Actually while focusing on the colors for the Grey-crowned Rosy Finch (Hepburn’s) I was noticing that it was more of a tints color palette bird compared to the original colors palette. I’m seeing birds at my feeders in palettes of color based on original, tints, tones, & shades now.