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, August 15, 2013

GLASS BOTTLES - REDUX!

Remember these glass jars from some time ago???
Before . . .
My intention when I began painting them was to do some line work on them, but then I just couldn’t decide. They have been laying around all this time until I finally decided that, yes, they did need that line work.

Here is the now (hopefully) completed painting.

. . . After
Here are a couple of close ups of the line work – I didn’t outline all of the areas, just some, and I’m pretty satisfied with the results.

Up close and personal with the line work (above and below)
This painting was a nightmare from the get go!

First, I had ordered what I thought were the acrylic inks, which turned out to be India ink instead.

Then I spilled some of the ink, fortunately inside a plastic tub even though I managed to spill some of that onto another painting on the table and the floor!

Since obviously I didn’t have all of the caps tight on the bottles, some of the blue ink which spilled all over spilled into the yellow ink container – so now I have no yellow but a really brilliant color of green!!!

Then I couldn’t decide whether I should go with my first idea, outline some of the bubbles, etc. with line work, so the painting sat for a while.

Once finished, I wondered whether these inks would be lightfast.  According to the Dick Blick website they are, so guess I’m safe!  Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks offer powerful color in a convenient dropper-stopper glass bottle.  These highly pigmented India inks not only remain lightfast and permanent, but are also totally waterproof when dry.  They adhere to nearly all surfaces and are non-clogging when used in pens.

I note that these inks now come in the eye dropper bottles – apparently for dolts like me who tend to spill things!

7 comments:

Kim Vanlandingham said...

Well after all that...the painting is amazing! LOL! Well done!

debwardart said...

Thanks Kimberly - now I'm happy with it - guess we really do suffer for our art!

Katherine Harra said...

The line work is amazing: Even in that little reproduction, I can see such difference, it looks so much more like shiny glass. Beautiful. I wouldn't have guessed it would make that difference of clarity and not be overwhelming. Now to go back and read your notes again: size of painting, size of pen line?

Katherine Harra said...

Okay, went all the way back to your step by step, and don't see a finished size: do you mind sharing?
(Hmmm. Don't remember ever putting the size on MY posts either. Hmmmm - oversight? Normal?).

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

What an accomplishment in light of all your accidents with this painting! I do like it after the addition of line work here and there, makes a difference.

Christiane Kingsley said...

I love it, Deb. The line work really adds a lot to it. What did you use to apply the ink for this line work.

Our houses sure suffer for our art: I now have violet splashes of acrylic paint on my white kitchen wall - the fluid acrylic seemed dry in the bottle and I banged it against the table. Guess what...it was not dry and splashed everywhere:-( Ah, well - I suppose that, if I can paint paintings, I should be able to paint a wall:-)

debwardart said...

Katherine, it's an odd size, about a half sheet and I used HP paper, probably Arches. I had some Pitt pens that I used for the lines.
Thanks Susan, I hemmed and hawed over whether to add the lines and glad I did.
Christiane, my son will be moving out soon (about time!!!!) and then I'll have 2 bedrooms to take over for my "studio" space and maybe the rest of the house will get back to the way it should be. Paint a wall - - - NOOOOO - that's not real painting (or so I tell my husband!)