Mosaiculture and Magnets
This summer the Montreal botanical garden (Jardin Botanique) is the host for Mosaiculture International. It’s a show of topiary follies. Painstakingly planted and clipped sculptural works on a grand scale. I’m estimating some of the larger ones being 30 feet across.
It’s certainly a spectacle, attracting big crowds. Get your tickets online to avoid a significant wait; but alas, no Access Montreal discount for the speedy service.
At best the plantings can feel like forest spirits. A sculpture of organic material – clay, dead wood, antler, moss, lichen, (on a steel armature) combine with plant species selected for color and texture to create figures of living foliage.
At worst, it’s high-kitsch. Enormous blooming bumble bees knock over pots of cartoon flowers. Leafy lemurs, flowery clown fish, and succulent gila-monsters amuse kids and oldsters alike.
I’m not going to try and convince you it’s worth the steep admission – it is after all just an extravagant walk in the park. But if you’re looking for something to sketch (or photo) in Montreal right now – it was many years in the making, and might not happen again soon.
I’ve been talking a lot lately about painting on location, with the big easel and the whole shebang. I thought this time I’d try out something completely opposite. A real guerilla operation. This is a trick I saw at some sketchcrawl – perhaps it was our workshop in Portland?
The idea is to use super strong magnets to clip water bottles and palettes onto a drawing board. (One magnet goes right in your bottle of water, the other goes underneath the board – jumping from your fingers and clamping on).
It gives you some freedom to walk around, wave the board in the air, and generally not worry too much about holding stuff while you try and see through a crowd of tourists. Certainly, if you’re walking all day, it’s nice not to have to carry a tripod or easel. I used it standing for short periods of time, but more often it’s a kind of lap desk.
With strong enough magnets it’s not a fragile setup. Things won’t fall off on their own – but the magnets will slide if you push them – so could end up nudging things off the edge. If that happens, the magnets will snap together with wicked force. I got some nice pinches getting used to that behavior.
I’ve seen a variation on this, a sketcher had a large panel of sheet magnet (sold as something to make photographic fridge decorations) contact cemented to their board. Making a kind of bulletin board for art supplies. Her Altoid tin watercolor kit stuck on nicely.
This trip I was experimenting with Line over Color – (reversing the normal approach – loose, exploratory washes first, tightening with line after). Something I’ve seen offered as a class at the USk symposium, but never had the chance to do.
So, there you go – something worth trying out. I think this magnetic setup is best suited for clipping a bottle of india ink to your board and doing big brush drawings in the field. It would probably be great at life drawing. I’m going to try that next. Something a little more streamlined than clipping on my full size folding palette. Perhaps just a few bottles of pre-mixed watercolor. Should be interesting to play with.
People always ask about the easel
EDIT: FEB 2017 – THREE YEARS OUT: I will probably go back to using the easel one day. However, the older I get, the less stuff I want to carry all day.
In recent months I’ve refused to bring any tripod/easel at all. I still think you get better paintings if you use one. BUT – I’m also willing to sacrifice some quality in exchange for remaining light on my feet.
Here’s a recent (mid 2016) shot of working on location, doing a 30-45min painting, standing up.
I’m painting on a coroplast drawing board, with a small palette clipped to the board. Extra paper/boards are clipped behind. Normally they’re stacked a bit neater. I’m not sure what I was up to in this shot. I’m carrying paint water in 125ml nalgene jars in a ‘purse’ style bag (open jars, in the bottom of the bag, I reach into the open zip for water).
Perhaps I’m getting faster at painting? or more forgiving at what I want out of a sketch? But in any case, I’m not needing the easel as much as I used to.
Still – I leave this long historical post up for posterity. It was an important tool for many years.
EDIT: SEPT 2014 – ONE YEAR OUT: The article below is now out of date, but I’ll leave it up for posterity – and because I still like the setup described – BUT – I no longer carry the full-size tripod and accessory trays into the field.
I’ve decided it’s simply too heavy to take on trips that involve walking to the location.
I still use it extensively in the studio, so I can paint in different locations (in front of a model or still life, or near the computer if I’m looking a reference images). But for field work, I’ve gone down in size to a lightweight aluminum folding tripod that looks like THIS in use.
Painting in progress are clipped to the tray like THIS with the palette similarly clipped on to the front like THIS. (That’s a bijiou box in the shot, but I also do it with a larger 12-well tin box).
My main reason for going big in the first place was stability in the wind. My current theory is: “oh well- some paintings r’gonna flip”. That’s the trade off for less weight in my bag.
So, back to my OLD OUT OF DATE info:
Original Post: The easel can be a bigger star than the paintings sometimes.
Every time one of my Frankenstein painting rigs appear in a photo, I get questions about it. Which is natural. Everyone loves gadgets, if they’re going to make for better paintings.
I’ve tried a variety of gear aimed at artists – the best of which (IMO) is the Eric Michaels En Plein Air Traveler. Basically not an easel at all – but rather a set of trays that attach to a light-weight camera tripod.
(NOTE: I go my E.M. Plein Air Traveller in the USA. I’ve recently been told that E.Michaels and Co. charge exorbitant shipping to Canada – almost doubling the price of the item – possibly Europeans might be in the same boat. So perhaps people might be even more interested in my kit-bashed solution).
This is the most practical off-the-shelf solution I’ve seen, but it has one drawback. It’s build to be light, portable, and easy to set up. Which is great. (I used one for years). But it means it’s *too* light for any kind of serious wind.
There have been many windy outings where I had to keep one hand on the tabletop at all times to stop it lifting off. On a few occasions, walking away at the wrong time resulted in a wind gust flipping the whole thing on it’s head. Once you push the situation up to 16×20″ panels you’ve essentially made a land-surfer.
So, that’s where higher quality camera gear comes in. Full size tripods have the weight to counterbalance big paintings, yet still fold up smaller than purpose-built artists gear. (I’m talking to you Jullian Easel). Personally, I’d much rather carry a tripod over my shoulder and the paints in a backpack, than try to haul around one of those wooden boxes.
The best tripod I’ve found so far is the cleverly named Manfrotto 055XPR08. To which I attach my old E.M.Plein Air Pro tray, using a bare bones tripod head. (Not the nice camera head it came with, but a very basic one I had lying around. No reason. Just using the good one somewhere else).
The 055XP has the key feature: You can fold the camera head to a horizontal position.
Perfect for my needs – panel on one side, and the remainder of the T-Bar to clamp on whatever else I want. Usually just a small accessory tray for my palette. I have a battery driven LED light panel for night painting, and eventually I’m planning to add in a Shade Buddy umbrella. I could even clamp on a Go-Pro or similar mini-camera and capture progress photos of the art, or record the scene in around me.
You could make your own tabletop out of wood or plastic by attaching the standard camera threading that’s on the base of every DSLR. I haven’t needed to researched where to get this tiny piece of hardware yet, but any camera store could order it. (EDIT: I’ve been told the threaded bit of hardware is called a Tee Nut or T-Nut, and is available in hardware stores, or online). You could also use a ‘shoe’ type quick release attachment which can be purchased from tripod manufacturers as a replacement part. You’d just have to mount it to the back of your tray.
There are also many types of laptop tray on the market these days, aimed at digital photographers who want to shoot with a computer next to the camera. They are however, often quite expensive. I bought one, but it’s cast metal and too heavy to haul around all day. Another thing for the box of expensive easel hardware I don’t use anymore. There are some nice aircraft aluminum models out there – so maybe someday :) Check out a site called Tether Tools if you’re feeling spendy.
The painting itself, brushes and folding palette are clipped on with bulldog clips. (see up top). I bring a variety of sizes if clip to hold all the various brushes. (Brushes go handle down into the wire ‘arms’ of the clip, not under the clampy part).
This all might seem like a bit of the overkill – but I will say: try painting on your lap, when you have to juggle palette, brushes, water etc etc – and you’ll discover immediately that having all your tools to hand – without fumbling for things – is actually a basic requirement for making a good painting. You can’t work a bead of water if you have to dig around in your bag for brushes while it’s dripping down the page.
If you try out something similar, or know of some better accessories, send me some of your photos from the field. Maybe we can get Manfrotto to make purpose-built art gear. They can put them out in pretty colors instead of photographer black.
~m
Shari Blaukopf: Wet in Wet Watercolor Demo
Yesterday afternoon Shari Blaukopf, my co-instructor from the USK Montreal workshop came by to give me a wet-in-wet watercolor demo.
She’s been telling me for a while that I don’t have to stretch watercolor paper if I just work wetter.
I’ve always been told, in order to work larger, you soak the paper, then nail it to a board with a few hundred staples. (I have an electric staple gun. Kachunk Kachunk chunkity chunk. 100 staples in a minute).
She insisted this wasn’t necessary, I didn’t believe her, so she came by to prove it. She should have made a wager, because – turns out – I was wrong, she was right.
First she wets a quarter sheet of 140lb Arches Cold Press paper – completely soaking both sides with a sponge. (This would work with any size, she’s worked this way on sizes up to double elephant).
Then blot/rolls the excess water away with a towel. (“Like rolling pie dough – from the middle outwards”).
The resulting damp-all-the-way-through paper is glossy but not glaringly glassy-wet.
It’s kind of amazing how it works. She can do a whole painting in the time it takes the soaked paper to air-dry. Though she does say, if you need more time, you can just re-wet the paper (from the back).
She paces herself to get soft washes early and comes back at a dryer (later) stage for smaller hard-edged details. It’s a display of perfect timing, and the hard earned experience mixing the right paint/water viscosity for every stroke. (Richer milkier mixes of paint will keep a cleaner edge, even early on when the paper is soaked).
The work comes together remarkably quickly. Dextrous strokes of pure color mixing on the paper into soft edges and blooming transitions. Wherever pigment touches pigment, the wash that’s slightly wetter expands slowly into the previous color.
Note how large a brush she’s using. She really did 85% of the painting with that 2” flat. No fiddly #0 brushes for her. She puts in small stems and striations just using the sharp edge of this gigantic brush.
My own method involves starting with dry paper and flooding it with pale pigment – creating the wet areas into which I’ll “charge-in” pigment. There’s a narrow window while the wash is wet enough to work. Her approach is much wetter, giving her a lot more ‘open time’ – at least 30 minutes under today’s conditions. (Varies with humidity and direct sun).
Because her paper fibers are fully saturated with water (all the way through the sheet), color blooms can travel quite a bit further, and with a softer effect, avoiding the sedimentary edges I get on puddles. (Though, I like those edges. But I can see the appeal of avoiding them). Some of this might be her pigment choices, rather than just the wetness, not completely sure.
The end result is a beautiful painting with a full range of soft to hard edges, executed in about 45 minutes.
I’ll just note that some of Shari’s original work will be available at the Lakeshore Artists Association’s Fall Exhibition, September 7th and 8th. Details (HERE).
Good Question of the Week: Do you really use Ivory Black?
I get a lot of questions in my inbox and the blog comments these days, I think every so often I’ll post a few to the main page here, so everyone can benefit from the discussion.
S.T.: Marc, I just read your list of colors and am rather surprised to see black! Why not Indigo, or Payne’s Grey? Just curious and always interested in learning. Thanks.
Marc: So in fact, that is a great question. For that particular class supply list we’re discussing, I’m trying to keep the number of colors down to a minimum. It can seem like a lot for people to purchase in one go (though, really it’s not – painting is a cheap activity compared to almost anything else. Golf? Skiing? Drinking?!)
But other than that here’s my thing:
In my approach to watercolor I’m working larger-to-smaller, lighter-to-darker. (Like everyone I think?) By the time I get to the darkest dark parts of the image I am A: wanting to cover color that has gone down before, and B: doing very small embellishments. The darkest darks are usually done with a #0 or #2 round. So honestly – we are mostly talking about opaque-ish dots and dashes :) (See this old worksheet that I plan to update soon).
But, yes, you need a sturdy dark that does the job.
Sometimes, I’ll use Ivory Black. But just as often I’ll use a thick mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna, or Ultramarine and Alizarin Crimson.
Occasionally I’ll use a few special effects colors (that I didn’t call for in the basic color list) – Prussian Blue (my version of Indigo) and Shadow Green (Holbein). These are strong, dark, transparent pigments. Good alternatives IMO to Ultramarine, as a mix with a complement like Alizarin.
But when there is a true black going on – like a velvet dress, or raven hair – I’m quite willing to use liberal amounts of Ivory Black. I’ll even use black gouache (mixed into other watercolors) to be even *more* opaque.
RE: Payne’s Grey: In my (admittedly limited) experience, this is the one color that changes the most when it dries. Payne’s is always going lighter than I expected. Add to that the fact I work a lot ‘on the run’ – sketching in the field – carrying all my supplies all day – I’m always trying for the smallest possible kit that still gives me results. Thus – Mr. Payne’s Grey gets the boot.
Also, here’s a completely unrelated story about a bad experience with Payne’s Grey.
Warming up for the watercolor class
Last night Syn Studio’s drop in drawing. Spending some time warming up for my upcoming class.
There’s some more of these spontaneous 5 and 10 min watercolors on figure drawing blog: Tarosan. (NSFW warning).
Supply List for Class
Just a quick note: If you are interested in, or already registered for, my Expressive Painting in Watercolor class at Syn Studio this Oct-Dec – here’s a link to the supply list.
Last I heard there were only two spots left! ~m
…and the demos from the weekend
And now, what (some of you) have been waiting for: the demos from last weekend’s workshop!
My method for this sort of “architectural portrait” always begins with a structural drawing. You have to go slow in order to go fast. A painting on location might take two or three hours, depending on complexity. People are surprised to hear I spend at least half the time on the under drawing.
The key thing I want students to take home is: Drawing from the Outside in. Finding the furthest dimensions of the subject – and verifying by measuring – before drawing too many interior details. I don’t want people to become obsessed with measuring. It shouldn’t be laborious. Drawing must remain expressive. But I’m always disappointed in my own work if the proportions are off. The idea after all, is to capture a recognizable place and relay the feeling if being there. (I realize now I’m going to have to figure out how to make a video on sight-measuring. I’m thinking about how to best do it).
Really, you’ll regret rushing in if you end up needing to erase some nice drawing. Worse yet, drawing for half an hour and finding the top of the cathedral goes off the page. Used to happen to me all the time.
Other topics during the demos included, drawing shadow shapes not linear details, (examples here, here, here and, with-nudity-here) and the compositional principle I call the gradient of interest.
Once you have a drawing you can start the fun part – pouring on the washes! It might sound hokey, but watercolor truly is a joyful medium. The color flows and mixes in front of your eyes. With the right sized brush you can cover the entire drawing in seconds. The magic all happens in a rush of splashing paint and darting calligraphy.
I hope, even while students are carefully drawing – ‘tongue sticking out the side of their mouth’ as my friend Lydia says, they are feeling some of that enjoyment :)
Photos from the Workshop!
We had 30 students shared between myself and my co-instructor Shari Blaukopf. Some locals, some from Ontario, and some from as far as British Columbia, California, Florida, and Texas.
If I can say it myself, about our own workshop, it was a smashing success :)
We heard a lot of positive comments; the techniques we chose seemed on target, people seemed to enjoy the critiques and “classroom” exercises – even if some found them challenging. To me, that’s the right balance. A lot of learning, a bit of pushing people to do things they haven’t tried, but not making it so frustrating that people shut down.
I was flattered that a few of our students were people I’d taught in past USK symposia (Lisbon and Santo Domingo). It’s great to know they would come all the way to Montreal to paint together again.
My friend Matthew Brehm once described teaching as ‘aggressive learning’. I like that phrase. In order to explain a method to someone else, you really have to wrestle with it. Be confident you’ve conquered it.
It’s a useful mental model for me. Having a hit-list of techniques to nail down before the next season of classes. I’m doing some research on new things to teach next time. Stuff I’ll un-veil when I think I’ve ‘crushed it’ as the kids say.
I had a great time meeting everyone at the workshop. I have to say this was the most social class I’ve been at. Thanks to Shari’s organizing, all the students, plus spouses and friends, were out for dinner every night, showing off their day’s work, sharing sketchbooks and talking art into the evening. It was a pretty cool feeling, bringing the spirit of the USK symposium to Montreal.
The rest of the event photos are posted up on our new Urban Sketchers Montreal Workshops Alumni Facebook group. All you who’ve taken a course with us (or even those who really want to!) – feel free to share your sketches and future sketching plans here. I’d like this to be a place where everyone from our past workshops can keep in touch into the future.
Thanks again to everyone who attended! I look forward to sketching with each of you again soon.
10 Week Watercolor Class at Syn Studio
A few people have asked about classes, so I’m pleased to announce:
Expressive Painting in Watercolor
Starting in October, for 10 weeks, I’ll be teaching a watercolor class at Syn Studio on Wednesday nights. As the weather gets poor in fall, maybe you’d like to come inside and paint :) We’ll be covering a wide range of subjects, starting with still life, doing some work with a model (both full figure and portraits) and then a ‘graduation piece’ to apply everything on a larger more complex work.
I’ll be emphasizing watercolor over top of drawing, as that’s more suitable for beginners, and of course is my own preference. Plus trying to help students with color and composition, handling hard and soft edges, improving your ability to execute small detail, and to draw expressively with the brush.
Looking forward to meeting some of you there!
Next Sunday Sketching: Aug 25th: (Free Event!)
Sunday August 25th, 10 AM we will meet in front of Pointe-à-Callière museum to sketch at their historical recreation 18th Century Public Market.
If there’s any new sketchers thinking about coming, you can read up on Drawing People in Motion. (PDF). There should be a lot of great characters in costume to draw.
I’m sure there’s lots to sketch here, but of course the Old Port has plenty to see within a short walk. We will not relocate in the event of rain, because the museum is a good option for backup.
Hope to meet some new sketchers!
Info about the market here
Info about our Sunday Sketching events here:
Citizen Sketcher 
