art supplies | Annie Mason 3/4
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Simply spring, flowers sing.

If you love spring flowers, these painting tutorials might get you started with trying some of your own.



A magnolia white bloom and green leaves
Magnolia pen & ink, and watercolor by Annie Mason

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1. Simple Flowers

Materials: (links are my favorites)









Simple flowers. It doesn't have to be that hard. MY MOST POPULAR Idea Pin on Pinterest:

click here ⬇️



This IDEA PIN currently has 1,011 Saves, has 13,678 clicks, and has 525, 620 Impressions

What does that tell you? It tells me that people like easy, and "I can do this" art.


Simple Flowers samples



2. Zinnia

Work in simple shapes. Find a real zinnia or a zinnia photo (check copyright) and have it handy to use while you are painting. This flower has a big circle, a stem, and big leaves. Remember, it doesn't need to be "perfect." Have fun.





Zinnia flower by Annie Mason Winsor & Newton travel kit


3. Poppies



It is more detailed than the zinnia, but in this case, I start with a light pencil drawing and then trace over the lines with a black ink pen. You must let the ink fully dry before starting the watercolor paint. Add the bright reds and greens, and it's like adult coloring books.






Bright red poppies flowers green leaves
Poppies by Annie Mason. Pen, ink, and watercolor

4. Stencil flowers

You can always use stencil shapes for flowers. I used a template of petal shapes in this video.


Supplies: Pencil, Watercolor paints, brush, stencils.




Stencil flowers (0:24 sec)




Why...it's a butterfly. Stencil watercolor by Annie Mason Pen and ink, watercolor.



5. Go Abstract


A flower is a flower. The shapes change, colors change. Parts stay the same.

“Nature is a teacher whose wisdom we can learn, without which any human life is vain and incomplete." ~ William Wordsworth

Once you recognize this...pick up your paintbrush, sing, and dance:





6. Translucent Flowers

This last sample lets you see how wonderful watercolor's translucent quality can be. It will take a little more practice, and the most important factor is to let the watercolor DRY COMPLETELY before adding another layer. The result is a visual delight.


Waiting between layers is the key. (0:36 sec)










Experiment...have fun.

transluscent flowers by Annie Mason






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Skillshare has great teachers and watercolor classes to follow. Join here:






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That blank canvas doesn't scare me.



Well, maybe. Just a tad.


I haven't done acrylic painting in a very long time. It'll come back to me, right?


Our new house has a lovely fireplace mantel longing for a canvas painting. Here I am, four months into living in our new home. It's time to give that space a painting.


Here we go:



Supplies:














 









 




 









 














 















 



Now, the hard part: what to paint. It's in my head. It's one of our favorite vacation spots: Sedona Arizona


I do work from photographs (as many artists do). Our daughter took the photo on a trip out west. Jeep tours are a great way to get up close and personal, gaining a lot of information if you get a good guide. Here's one: Pink Tours from among many others. Or check these from a list: The 6 Best Sedona Jeep Tours




You can see the sky area (although it is subtle because I chose not to bring the dark blue completely to the edge of the mountainous horizon line.


Work in Progess

⬇️ Work in Progress



I added cacti to the left foreground; now to fill the empty space.




That space could be problematic. Put something too detailed, and it would take away from the detailed cactus. I decided to keep this area nice and straightforward with the desert sand and earth-toned colors.


This set is FABULOUS! Strongly pigmented colors are perfect for this painting!




⬆️

Am I finished?


It is a never-ending challenge for the artist. It's "quite" done. Sometimes, it's a good idea to walk away from a task. I don't consider painting a task because I love it. But like other decisions, it's a good idea to take time and ponder for a moment. "Sleep on it," my grandma used to say.




SEDONA. Vortex and meditation. Oum. Break time.









 

One day later: 🕰


After careful thought, I decided not to make any significant changes. My style is loose. The image lends itself to a quick, rough pattern with the brush (and a bit of pen and ink), an homage to the grand desert landscape with its rocks, prickly pears, and dramatic sky. So what you see in these close-up pictures is a bit more detail and the use of darks and lights to emphasize the textures.


Now, clean up the sides of the canvas. Since I will not be framing it for placement on the mantel, I painted entirely around the sides. Acrylics dry quickly, but even if it is dry to the touch, it is a good idea to wait about a week before applying a varnish coat to the artwork. For a technical description of the drying process, check Golden Paints Drying





 

Blank wall waiting for a not-so-blank canvas.


Another few days to dry completely 🕰

Ta Da!







 

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Looks like that blank canvas wasn't so scary after all. Sometimes, you have to DO IT!


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You can't have enough art supplies.

This

is an opinion.

My opinion.







 

The art supplies pictured here are my own. Many of the items link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate, earning from the reader's purchases here. I can comfortably say that I use all the products listed below, and I am confident that they are art supplies that you would enjoy at a beginner or professional level.



Let's start with basic supplies.



 


PAINTS



You can see that this set has been used. I bought this set in 2015, and it still serves me well. The link will bring you to a catalog of similar sets.


A Paint set which has 24 color pans along with a palette and a watercolor pen.
Sakura Koi 24 color Travel Set





I use these Winsor & Newton© watercolours are rich with high pigmentation. You can see that this has had plenty of use since 2019 and still have plenty of color. Recognizing the colors was a little harder, so I cut a piece from the wrapping on each pan and glued it above each paint pan. This set has a water pen, and the lid opens to a palette.



Winsor & Newton watercolour paint set 12 half pans
Winsor & Newton 12 half pan watercolour set


 


WATERCOLOR PAPERS





You can find more watercolor paper selections in the catalog search here.



 


BRUSHES



These are my go-to brushes, especially when using washes. Brushes come in 9 popular sizes - #0, #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12, #14, #16. Extremely versatile size range. Perfect for professionals, artists, students, novices, beginners, and adults. Natural sable hairs have great liquid-holding ability, and soft and smooth blending gives you a perfect sable-like spring back and ability to hold its shape.




This set is perfect for details with your brush. I keep two sets so that I don't run out when a brush starts to wear down.











































These brushes are a Value Pack on Amazon, despite the fancy-sounding name. I use them for paintings, wear them out, and then buy another 12-piece pack for under $20. (Eight brushes are shown here.







You should clean your brushes! It keeps them healthy.






A Spiral Holder Suspends Brush Tips To Prevent Bending Or Deforming of The Bristles As They Hang To Dry Or Soak In Either Water Or Solvents. Great product.















DRAWING


I LOVE these watercolor pencils. They allow me to add shadows or detail in areas where I can draw colors and contrast. I sharpen these down to the nub. Beautiful colors. * Note the holder. My daughter bought me the holder, which looks like the "spiral shaving" leftover from a pencil sharpener. Very clever. Get yours here Clive Roddy.












These are handy for drafting, but I love being able to trace perfect circles in any situation. The erasing shield also helps to erase unwanted lines close to each other.






Speaking of erasing. I don't like to think about making mistakes...but I confess. I make them.





A picture of a Faber-Castell kneaded eraser in a plastic case.
A Faber-Castell kneaded eraser in a plastic case.



 

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and making any purchase from this website will be an Amazon commission

for me but will have no cost to you.


 

Not necessarily needed, it's nice to have this equipment or these furniture items:








 

If you like to video your work-in progress

or you like to do tutorials:


















 


Good lighting:


















 

Keep your artwork safe:


I own all of the products listed above. If you are thinking about any of these for yourself, for a budding artist in your life, or for a crafter of any kind click through to Amazon and drop a product in your cart. I thank you as I do get a commission for your purchase after the item has been shown delivered.



 







Please, Pin it! or scroll to comments.









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