Deb Ward, GWS, OWS, PWS, WSI - WATERCOLOR/WATER MEDIA - My passion is teaching adult “beginners”. Weekly classes in my home; workshops; classes for Cincinnati Recreation Commission. My work is nationally recognized and published - see “Featured” on my sidebar. I’m a Signature Member of Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana state Watercolor Societies, Cincinnati Art Club, past-President of Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society. Contact info below under “Class Information”

Thursday, October 20, 2011

TEAPOT AND ORB - 5

However, I’m not in love with the Daniel Smith Genuine Lapis Lazuli. It was a lovely dusty blue the first evening, but overnight it morphed into some gray-ish blue-ish gunk. All I can think is that the gum Arabic has separated from the color, since when I squeeze it out it’s an ugly gray with a lovely blue streak. I have “kneaded” the tube until my hands hurt, to no avail. So, I’m pulling out the blue as best I can and later wiping away the very sticky gunk.

So when you look at this photo you will see the 2 colors from the same tube of paint! I double and triple checked that I hadn’t picked up the wrong tube, but there’s no way I did – it just kind of changed colors overnight.

After kneading the tube and then squeezing it out and separating the color from the gunk, it looks almost the same as the first night’s painting, but not quite. Who knew!????

And, to add insult to injury, one of my Daniel Smith tubes is solid as a rock – Genuine Smalt. I will probably cut that one open and use it like a pan. It may (or may not) be in this painting, since it’s a vibrant blue, maybe too vibrant for this one. And it does not resemble my free tube of Smalt from Winsor & Newton – not at all!

No wonder “they” say watercolor is the hardest medium to learn!

Score: Painting 2, Deb 1

6 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Deb, sounds like this painting is really fighting you!! Sorry about the Lapiz. I just got a little jar of the stuff from my friend in Spain and it's grainy feeling but a beautiful color and very creamy and thick (but feels grainy when you add water to it). I never tried smalt. You could use it like a pan paint or add some gum arabic and water until you get it back to workable shape. Looking forward to that hot pink color coming in to see what happens!

Gaylynn said...

I am rooting for you! WC is not the hardest to learn....it just likes to make you think :-)

Carol Blackburn said...

Such an intricate design and you are making wonderful headway, don't let the color issue make you give up on this one. I'm sure it will be beautiful in the end.

Carolyn A Pappas said...

I once had a tube of M Graham cerulean blue that seperated in the tube. Finally, I had to resort to this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/koukla/5341328644/. I never had the paint seperate after it was on the paper though. It looks very frustrating!

debwardart said...

Thanks Rhonda, just don't have time to worry about it right now, but I'll consider your suggestion.
Gaylynn, plan, plan, plan - and then abort!!!!!
Carol, haven't given up yet.

debwardart said...

Carolyn, thanks for stopping in - I was not able to locate your link, though! Painting in general can be frustrating - but the rewards are worth it!