A Quick "Green" Greenman

[Ron T]

Hi Larry, thank you for the nice comment. I really need to learn how to paint, what colors to use and how to do a light wash.

[Robson Valley]

Ron: great stick! Don't rain on your own parade.
1. Washes take practice. Not much paint but a lot of cheap paper. Try some green leaves with much darker green (bluish even) at the bottom edge of each leaf for the shadowy parts.
2. Mixing colors. Wait for a really rotten day when you're bored.
Full watercolor sheets are 22" x 30", plan for 2" circles of paint.
Across the top and down the left side, circles of all your solid colors, same sequence, paint wet-in-wet so one edge washes out.
3. Next, in the circles with a bit of water to dampen the paper, mix everything with everything.

I have 3 sheets of that stuff on my study wall. Why? because I can't remember the greens that I get with Yellow Ochre and Cerulean Blue compared with the greens that I get with Yellow Ochre and Prussian Blue; or with Payne's Grey, etc. How do those look when compared with solid greens like Hooker's Green?

[Sharon of the Dell]

I love it Ron! Nothing wrong with trying something different and going out of your comfort zone. It kind of has a tiki wood spirit feel to it.

[Ron T]

Hi Robson Valley,

Thank you very much for posting your comments. Your instructions on the watercolor sheet will be extremely helpful but I can see already that learning to paint is as extensive as learning to carve. There is more to it than just wetting the paint brush with water and colors just as there is more to carving than cutting wood with knives.

[Ron T]

Thank you, Sharon. If you look at the green man carefully, you can see that there really isn't anything to the carving other then the eyes and nose. I will have to learn to use colors properly if I plan on painting any sticks in the future.

[Robson Valley]

Ron, you're welcome.
I don't paint for money any more but it was a hoot at the time!
Watercolor paper varies tremendously in price. Works just as well with acrylics.
Don't buy expensive w/c paper = you want to paint on wood anyway.
What I like about acrylics is that once a wash dries, it stays put.
Watercolors lift when they are re-wetted and you hit them again with a brush.
Soak your brushes 15-20 minutes before you paint to keep the paint from creeping up into the ferrule. Hot water & handsoap does a good clean-up. The brushes, I mean!
If you really make a mess with acrylics, the dried paint can be lifted with rubbing alcohol but be careful that it doesn't damage any other finished surface.