Wedding...OH lala

Good morning sweet cheeks. Today I thought it would be fun to talk about sketching and watercolor supplies. I was looking at some wedding dresses 2013 style and got VERY inspired. I always like to start out on sketching paper…just to get an idea of how big I really want it to be. Once I draw the flowers, then I can start working on the hands and beautiful dress. I really love a lot of flowers and I found a cool photo that had an enormous bouquet. Once you are sure about the size, then you can go ahead and start sketching on watercolor paper. I used Canson Montval Watercolor paper 140lb. You can find it in a block and it has a flap on the front, so you can put it away easily. I like to use a mechanical pencil, so it’s always super sharp, BUT I make sure to not press down hard. I want the paper to stay nice and smooth. The pencil I use is a KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH 0,5. I’ve only started using this for the last six months, but I really like it. I also use FABER-CASTELL 2B pencil whenever I don’t mind sharpening it often=0)  So, once I sketch everything out I’m pretty much ready to add the watercolors. I’m using l’Aquarell on this painting, but if you are just starting out a Winsor & Newton Compact Set is great. Now the main thing to remember is to start light…it’s safer. I like to take it slow and not add too much too soon. I also enjoy adding several different types of the same color. For example, in this painting I used both greens in my set and even mixed them together to get another shade. I don’t know if you can tell by just looking at it, but I feel pretty scientific mixing it all up. Painting is for fun after all…right? Keep in mind that whatever is wet is going to stay wet for a while, so don’t try to make any fine details until the end. You can always start working on another area and eventually go back and see if it’s dry enough. I like to wait. Some use hair dryers to speed along the process. Once you are sure you are ready to add the final details make sure it’s dry. I do all my finishing touches when I’m 100% sure that it will NOT spread. Then I go back and do all the shading with a light gray wash. Start light and see how you like it. Keep a dry paper towel near by in case you need to dab the paper and remove some of the watercolor. NOW YOU WANT TO GO PAINT RIGHT? You have a lot to work on=0) Hope this was helpful and I’d love to see anything you are working on.

End of year FUN

We are quickly getting to the end of the school year. Everyone is going to prom and getting ready for graduation ceremonies. I can not get over how quickly this school year has just zoomed by me. I DO enjoy going to all the fun parties and seeing teenagers out having a fancy dinner before their BIG prom. I seriously love seeing them all dressed up and looking so excited to be out.  They all look so great…I just love that. I was surprised to see some kids posing for pictures with a professional photographer. WHAT FUN. I did notice white prom dresses that were very pretty and they had on very colorful accessories. It was really cute. I really liked the red prom dresses that I saw. I'm thinking that I may NEED to get a RED dress for at least one of my trips. You just never know when you may need to get all fancy. Back in the day when I had prom…we loved some SERIOUS color. LOL. Yes, you can imagine me with my royal purple ruffled prom dress. YES… LOL. Anyways, it was fun to see them all out with their super runway gorgeous dresses. Looks like prom is getting bigger and better each year. Now we are also getting all the teachers gifts together and writing them sweet notes so they know how much we appreciate all their hard work…AND PATIENCE. It's also time to say goodbye to all our friends that are moving away=0( Such a bummer, but we are really happy that we got to know them and we wish them all the best. The good part is that now we have a few more places to go visit and explore. As for us, we have TONS of stuff planned this year. YAY. I'm super excited about all the fun we have planned for our summer break. We only have seven weeks, but they are packed to the brink of destruction. We are visiting so many friends and family. Now that the little ones are getting bigger, WE ARE READY TO BRING ON THE FUN. I will be posting photos on instagram all summer long…in case you want to take a peek. We are all stocked up on sun block, flip flops, towels. What else could we possibly need? I'm also packing up all my paints and brushes for our trips away. We will see if they survive the occasional canon balls off the diving boards. Hmmm, that thought just gave me heart palpitations=0) Maybe I will just stick to painting inside…or just away from the pool. HA. It's going to be fun. Hopefully you all have some fun plans too. I'd love to hear about them=0)  I need to go and find myself a fun RED dress(*fingers crossed*).

That's what friends are for.

The other day I was day dreaming about weddings. Not for myself, but for one of my girlfriends that is single. She is a fabulous catch and so I’m always keeping ideas in my head for her wedding. I mean….you just never know when lightning will strike the heart! She may be walking somewhere and drop something and then BOOM…a gentlemen may reach down and pick it up for her. You just never know. So, ideas are always swirling in my head for future reference=0) I’m sure you are wondering what all my thoughts on hair, sexy wedding dresses and shoes are. There are a lot of choices and so I just think it’s my responsibility to keep her up to date whenever she may happen to ask for my opinion. YES…I won’t present anything before being asked=0) I SWEAR. I HAVE thought of short bridesmaid dresses that she would just love to have us all wear. Again…it will just be a suggestion that I make. She won’t mind and don’t worry that she may think I’ve given it a little too much thought. We go WAY back to 7^th grade. I mean, she has been dealing with me since my bad 80’s hair perms. Now, let me just tell you what I’ve been thinking about so far. She is very tall and has a gorgeous back. She is also gorgeous in front, but she has been known to wear open back dresses. I’m thinking that she has to show that off when she is wearing her lovely gown. She will look stunning and maybe she can have her hair with large curls. It would be more of a statement hairdo. Then she can wear a veil if she wants, but she won’t HAVE to. Hopefully she will like my ideas because I’ve really been giving it some thought for the last few….anyways that doesn’t really matter=0) Nails are super easy because anything looks good. Most people have very calm colors and I think that will look nice. Pastels are very pretty and they just about have every shade available. Now we are getting to the shoes! Okay, I am fully aware that most dresses cover your entire shoe. I still think the shoes should be as beautiful as the dress. Will it break the budget? Probably, BUT…it just has to be done. Just think of it that way. Just has to be done and then you won’t talk yourself out of getting the ones you REALLY love. I am the queen of talking myself out of stuff and so that is why I say this. So…now I think I’m ready for whenever love sweeps her off her feet. I mean…we can pull it together in like…30 days. I’m just sayin’. What are friends for…RIGHT?!

xoxo,

Carol

Dreaming on water finished

Hope you all had a fun weekend.

We were up in Pasadena visiting family over the St. Patrick's Day celebration. We had a super fun time, but I'm back and super excited about class this evening. Here is my girl all glittered up!

Hope you like her. I'm really enjoying looking at her skirt.

HAPPY MONDAY.

Pretty flowers

HOLA.

Yesterday, we were out exploring and we bumped into an art supply store...and gelato too.

I had to go inside and check out some thing, since they were having a huge sale;oP

So, I found some fun stuff. Some new paper, markers and paint.

Last night I made a little sketch and had a little fun adding a little ink.

There were SO many pretty flowers downtown yesterday, so it just added to my Spring fever.

Kiss your peeps.

My other job...

Me-How is your report coming?

X-Good. 

Me-Lets work on it some more.

X-Sure.

Me-Where did you put it? It's not on your clip board.

X-Hmmmm.........I just don't remember.

Me-(After looking for 10 minutes) I can't find it anywhere. Can you remember when you last saw it?

X-Nope. Oh well, I'm gonna get an F now.

Me-It has to be somewhere. I found so many things....even a note to the tooth fairy.

X-What did it say?

Me-We need to find that report.

X-I'll just get an F.