5 Easy D.I.Y. Watercolour Paint Recipes!

I love paint!  As a mixed media artist, I am always on the hunt for awesome paints to try out and experiment with.  And, even though I absolutely love my artist quality paint palettes ( I love M. Graham's watercolour), sometimes it's fun to play around with different paints! I've collected 5 awesomely super simple watercolour recipes from around the web. Each of these 5 posts will provide you with the directions on how to make your own watercolour paints from simple ingredients that you probably already have laying around the house!

 

 

 

 

1.  designsponge.com has a great tutorial on how to make make pan style watercolour using an ice cube tray!

 

 

 

2.  stirthewonder.com will show you how to create easy to make liquid watercolours!  I love the colours!

 

 

3. growingajeweledrose.com  will provide you with the perfect recipe for creating washable liquid watercolours from kid's watercolour pallets!  Crayola never looked better!

 

 

 

 

 4.  craftingagreenworld.com will show you how to use markers to create unique liquid watercolours!  Now you can repurpose those dried out water based markers and create beautiful art!

 

5.   tinkerlab.com has a fantastic post on how to create squeezable, dimensional paint made from flour and salt!  Great idea for both kids and adults alike!  

If you have any other cool homemade watercolour recipes, please feel free to leave a link in the comments below!  Homemade paints are not only fun to make, but fun to use and a project the whole family can really enjoy!

Commision Elephant Mommy and Baby

I recently recieved a commision request for a mother and baby elephant.  I created this painting using watercolour and ink.  I normally work exclusively on 140lb cold press watercolour paper, but the lighting in this photo does not show the texture of the paper well.  I am not traditionally a realist painter.  I love whimsical paintings that are filled with imagination and loads of colour and shapes.  But, on occasion, I enjoy the challenge of more realistic renders.  

I have found a printer that will be doing all my giclee reprints!  I am excited!  And they drop ship too!  So I expect to have my etsy store up and running sometime soon!

If I Were an Elephant

If I were an elephant, how lucky I would be!  Actually, with my luck, I would get a peanut stuck in my long nose and choke to death!

I love elephants!  My latest paintings and drawings seem to be focused on the beauty of the elephant. I have been experimenting with combining watercolor, ink, pencil crayon and graphite together.  I love the effect I have been getting and it seemed so very suited for the textured skin of the elephant.

This painting is a work in progress.  I started it a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly working on it.  I saw a photo on Pinterest of an elephant face and was mesmerized by the beauty of shadow and texture.  Deep lines that seem to tell an ancient story engraved deeply into an almost knowing face.  Beautiful and breath taking are two words I would use to describe it.  I wanted to capture the depth of the shadow but all also focus on the texture of the skin.  I did a rough sketch and used my Sakura Pigma Micron pen in Black size 02 to outline the comtours of the face.  Then, I used my Sakura Brush pen in black to establish deep shadow.  Using my watercolor paint, I added an under painting of deep blue and grey, building the colour through multiple layers of watery paint.  I am at the stage where I am ready to add pencil crayon in a slate grey.  So far, it is working out as planned!  I will update with the final results soon.