Brown Eyes/ Figs

Royal Talen was nice enough to send me equipment to try out (no strings attached). This is the next round of things I tried.

Rembrandt half pan set. The Rembrandt line is professional grade. The pigments are triple ground and suspended in gum arabic. The colors really pop and appear even with every brush stroke.

This set is twelve half pans. They come in a hinged black metal palette box with the logo on the lower left corner. It is compact enough to fit in a coat pocket and has a sturdy build. Two long struts cradle the half pans. Individual metal clamps hold each half pan in place. The entire strut is made to pop out, ease of doing so facilitated by two small handles at either end. This is so that you can replace the cradle once crimps are too loose.

(all pics by me)

Some painters have specific configurations for various subjects and places that they work. They have multiple cradles which they leave loaded up in work specific arrangements. One is popped out or in easily as needed.

There is a hinged metal cover that goes over the half pans when the box is closed. When the palette box is open it lays at an angle. This is a mini paint palette to mix or wet brush. The lid of the palette box can also be used as a larger three section palette or to hold water.

On the underside is a finger loop to hold the box while working plein air. In Paris, on Rue Mouffetard I have seen an aquarellist run a thick elastic through the loop, attaching it to her drawing board.

Some people intentionally want to work from a limited color palette. Others have travel in mind where luggage is often a factor. The size of this kit is perfect to suit either motive. This kit practically demands that one get out there, be it someplace in nature or an out of the way spot on the street, or perhaps a café table and get to work.

I do mostly portraits/ casual faces so some of included colors I would infrequently reached for. I did try all of the colors, they were all noticeably vibrant, easy to darken or lighten using an eye dropper and water (in a porcelain palette).

The kit comes with a travel brush/ A Rembrandt 110 Red Sable. This is a better-quality brush than is often included even with the bigger names in paint companies. It has a cap to protect it when not in use. It cleans up easily with water and watercolor brush soap.

There are water brushes which are a brush with fatter barrels into which you add water. Anyone who does street or café painting could use the kit as is in conjunction with a waterproof pen to create street scenes.

Draw the scene and use one or two colors to stand for in light and shadow (i.e. light blue for the front of a building, dark blue for the side in shadow).

The exciting thing about this kit is the possibilities. Two water brushes, a pocket pad, pencil and the palette box all could easily fit into two jacket pockets or the small section of a backpack.

The thing I have always liked about half pan sets is their portability. It is easy to swap out colors for ones preferred or as they run out, to replace them. Even though not all the colors included in this box were to my preference, I had already been using Rembrandt in my permanent studio set up. All the colors share the same properties and quality.

This set did get me enthused again about doing still life’s which in my body of work had sort of fallen by the wayside.

“Brown Eyes” 9×12 Rembrandt watercolor paper 140 lb cold pressed

“Fig” Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

Blue Eye/Tagliatelle & New Equipment

 I was lucky enough to be sent, with no strings attached, new equipment to try by Royal Talens. Over the next month or so I will be using and writing about what I was sent.  

First up: Van Gough half pan watercolor set (24x half pans). These are artists’ grade. Artist’s grade is not necessarily “lesser” than professional, once you are past student grade it becomes much more matter of what you are going to do with them and your technique.

The half pans come in a white plastic case. Despite being 100% plastic, it feels substantial. Some artists prefer plastic palette cases as they do not dent and are easier to clean.

The half pans fit into slots instead of there being one long metal slot or rut with metal crimps which bend over the edge of the half pans to hold them in place. These always loosen over time even if you do not remove the half pans often. It also has two slots which included a narrow natural sponge and a #6 Van Gough selected filament brush.

Crimp style

slot style

The lid is attached on an integrated hinge and opens to lay flat. The inside of the lid divides into six sections which can be used as palette.

Each half pan has easy to see/read info on the color located both on its side and top, the latter which pulls off like a snack pudding.

The color selection is several hues of red, yellow, blue, brown, green, orange, a gray and one white.

Usually, I eschew using gray regardless of the company. I find that they lean too towards blue or the truer gray has a murky/cloudy look. This gray has a light blueish undertone but is perfect, especially if depicting hair.

The paper I was givn is Rembrandt watercolor 9×12 140lb. It is an artist’s quality. 10x sheet, cold pressed.

The paper is secured via a glued top in pad stye. It has a soft cover and hard cardboard back. Only the top is secured, as I worked on a painting at end of each session there occurred minor curling. Once the paper was dry, I weighed it down overnight and next day it was fairly flat. I also tried using small clips in each corner and just leaving it. Both ways allowed me to get to work again easily. Once the painting was completely done and I cut it off the pad there was some minor curling. I let it dry and at the end of day put a few heavy books on it over night and next morning it was flat.

This is a heavy paper and would be great for anyone who does the wet-on-wet technique.  It is a clean natural white which doesn’t distort the nature of the paints. I do pencil outlines of what I am going to paint and when applying the eraser it didn’t tear nor drag, there was zero pilling of the paper as can sometimes occur with other brands.

My technique is to fill the slots of white porcelain palettes with water. Then using a damp brush mix in the paints.

These paints mix in smoothly. It is very easy to darken the hue via dipping the brush back into the half pan or to lighten the hue by diluting the palette section with water.

On the paper it gives true color representation right away as opposed to having to wait for it to dry a little. The paper allows for blending to achieve volume and mass, for example when portraying flesh. I found it behaves very similar to the 100% French cotton paper I sometimes use. It is a little more forgiving if one is quick enough, to fix any minor mistake.

With my style of painting, I found that when working on a face, I must give time in between brush strokes for them to mostly dry as to keep it from running. Once one has timing down, which doesn’t take too long, it is far from a hinderance.

I have always incorporated several brands into my palette. I will definitely be adding some of this set into my palette. The ones which are not making the cut, it is not about the quality but rather they are just colors I do not use and I only have so many  available slots.

“Blue Eye” 9×12

“Tagliatelle” Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

The Pugilist (selfie)

I decided to break things up a little and use different paper for this piece. It is 11×17 Tan multi-media paper. I was very pleased with the results.

The Pugilist (selfie) 11×17 Tan paper & watercolors

by Wayne Wolfson

Lin

At least until Mid-July I will not be able to take photos to use as raw material for my Cinefield® work. I continue to happily paint, enjoying myself. As I am locked into a groove, this piece too was done in my Talens Art Creation Multi Media 4×4 inches pocket pad.

Watercolor & paper 4×4 inch Pad

I had a little bit of paint left in my palette. I also had few of a different style I had bought while doing residency in Paris. These have a different style of pigment and look to them. I decided to do a loose experiment. Unfortunately, I grabbed the wrong pad of paper. I have a tabouret drawer for every style I use. Some are for different mediums but look the same unless you take a beat and read cover. I meant to use multi-medium paper which can be used with watercolors and other wet mediums.

Instead I ended up with regular tan toned sketch paper. This meant that among other handicaps I could not do my proper blending. I decided to continue on anyways. Despite it being my first time with the paints and the wrong paper for the wet medium, I was pretty pleased with result, especially for a first foray.

Quick painting 5×7 Tan toned sketch paper.

by Wayne Wolfson

Amanda

Still not sure when I am going to have a chance to take photos to use as source/fuel for my Cinefield® work. In the interim I have been enjoying painting and drawing in my trusty pocket pad. A few people had commented on noticing I had changed type of pad I use a few months ago.

Always on me now is Talens Art Creation Multi Media 4×4 inches. It stands up to blending I do when watercolor painting and same with water soluble graphite. A small thing, but which makes a big difference for the times I throw it in my bag instead of pocket is that it has an elastic which holds it closed. This means that the pages are never torn nor bent.

This piece is watercolor & multi medium paper 4×4 inches. As always, if you have interesting photo of yourself that I might be interested in drawing, drop me a line

by Wayne Wolfson

Delight

I currently have no new raw material (photos) for my next Cinefield®. I do not mind as I am enjoying painting. Portraying human flesh with paint continues to give me the same pleasure as when I initially was able to do it well.

Here are two new pieces. Both are watercolor on paper. One in my pocket pad 4×4 inches and the other a new paper I recently discovered 5×7.

There is a great quote by author Paul Auster along the lines of “Do a thing simply for the beauty of doing it.” As an artist, I came up pre-internet (this was when I also had to have a string of terrible day jobs) A buddy and I would do literal Xerox-staple ‘zines. We would run all over town bullying, pleading & annoying Bookstores, Record stores anyplace, to carry them.

If two people saw them, you felt like you were one hundred feet tall. But, this was the bonus as it was about serving the process. It was a calling, a romance, which I am still swept up in. There was not the worry of social media numbers, likes. reposts etc.

I have noticed that many Parisian artists sort of have this attitude. Of course it has become a necessity to maintain an online presence no matter where in the world one is, but you do not see heads bent in prayer to screens in the same way you do stateside.

Do a thing for the beauty of it and the rest will follow, it may not be as immediate as posting and then getting a “like” but it will be more lasting and meaningful.

by Wayne Wolfson

Paris Painter III

I have been greatly enjoying using my newish pocket pad for painting. It is interesting how ambient light effects a piece. If a room is naturally darker then the application of paint is thicker whereas a really bright space less paint is used. This is because of how the eye perceives the colors.

My studio has a natural sort of yellowish/gold tinge to it. I am fortunate in that I can see in my mind’s eye how to compensate for it.

“M After” Watercolor & pocket pad 4×4 inches

Drawing with impulse buy pencil

One of my other favorite statues in Paris

so many buildings have plaques denoting who lived there, when and what they did. There are many for Picasso who had numerous homes in the city. Sometimes an artists had many homes because they kept skipping out on the rent! With some artists you see several plaques all within the same arrondissement.

by Wayne Wolfson

Reminder

I took some pretty good photos walking the streets of Paris. Some will be made into fine art prints and sold, otter will go to Getty. As good as they are, I doubt i will put them on my site thought

Generation Instagram has always felt that taking something they like which was found on internet and posting it without permission on their page is sort of victimless crime.

It is not. Permission must be given, otherwise you are literally stealing. If you are an artists wanting to use someone else’s work, get the permission in writing as to protect yourself; since the artist granting permission could have sort buyer’s remorse bout lending an image. Or not care until project takes off, feeling something more owed them. This is why its also important have every aspect of collaboration or usage spelled out in contract beforehand,

I do not copyright every single doddle I create but I do with all my fully realized pieces. This by no means is a forcefield against people trying use your world without permission. However, it makes it far quicker and easier to have stolen stuff taken down. And should it come to actual legal proceedings, I can personally attest, it makes things move far quicker.

The life of an artists has enough trials without taking on things which are preventable and can be protected against.

by Wayne Wolfson

Paris Painter II

The lighting in my new studio is different, but I feel I have a handle on it now. I am well into the swing of things. I’ve mostly been using my semi new to me pocket pad for painting. Drawings been spread out all kinds of paper. 4×4 inches

I discovered a new to me paint company. They have been around since 1830. Among many greats, Matisse and Renoir got their watercolors from them. They remain very artisan. Just looking at the paints you see the difference in pigments. They also have proprietary colors.

paints are not paints, each hue has its own distinct properties and then this varies even more from company to company.

Not knowing if I would like them, I just bought five to try. This is why on my first piece skin doesn’t have volume & mass I usually achieve. I instantly liked the paint, it handles diff than anything else I have used. Decided to go all out, new 5×7 paper, new paint.

Maestro. One my fave statues in all of Paris.

by Wayne Wolfson

R (Adventure of a Paris Painter 1)

For the first time in a decade I’ve had to change my Parisian studio. Gone the view of the dome for Val de Grace and the enormous bird who sleeps in the windowbox among the geranium, his throaty song heralding dawn.

I was a little sad of course. On the other hand in warmer weather once past the noon hour I would not have to paint clad in a sarong and tee shirt or risk baking like a potato.

I am still learning the light in new place, ideal times to paint.

Here is my first piece, watercolor and pocket pad 4×4 inches. I was pleased with the results.

Quick sketch,new to me paper

by Wayne Wolfson