New YouTube Video: Underpainting with Inktense Blocks

'December Fog'           8x10         pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $145

I am continuing to play with wet underpaintings this weekend. I love how a wet underpainting helps me move away from my reference photo and allows me to interpret the scene with my own voice. Today I decided to do an alcohol wash using Derwent Inktense Blocks. These look like sticks of hard pastel but they are actually blocks of water soluble ink. You can use them wet or dry but they really shine when wet. They explode with rich color. In the fall I made a short video for my patreon page showing an alcohol wash with the intense blocks. You can now watch the demo on my YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/SS11aA6DI6Q

Derwent Inktense Blocks

Below you can see the start of the underpainting for today's foggy marsh painting . I liquified the intense with rubbing alcohol and a stiff brush. My goal was to allow some of the underpainting to show through and I was somewhat successful. I am not finished exploring this reference though and I plan to use it for a series of explorations.

Before wetting with rubbing alcohol

The underpainting once it has dried

If you would like to see the finished painting that was started in the video click here: http://kemstudios.blogspot.com/2017/10/do-you-want-explosion-of-color.html

Do You Want an Explosion of Color?

'Nature's Peace'             9x12          pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

 I came home from New Mexico to a wonderful surprise. A friend had sent me two wonderful aprons and a set of Derwent Inktense sticks. What special treats!  I couldn't wait to put the sticks to use. I pulled out a piece of Uart paper and a photo from New Mexico and set to work.

I've used the Derwent Inktense blocks as they are called but I only had a few single sticks. I was like a kid in a candy store with the set of 24 colors. I have a set of 24 Intense pencils but the blocks are better suited for underpaintings.

Derwent Inktense Blocks are ink in stick form....wet and watch them explode with color

 If you aren't familiar with this product they are actually inks in solid form. They are called blocks but they are the same shape and size as a Nupastel stick.

• You can work with them in a variety of ways but they are meant to be wet. Once they are wet they turn into liquid inks. You can wet them with water or rubbing alcohol or even turpenoid. Once they are wet they just EXPLODE with rich vibrant color. 
• They can be mixed and layered. You can manipulate the wet ink with sprays of water or alcohol. I got some great drips with the rubbing alcohol.
• They are fantastic for underpaintings for pastels. They are more vibrant than watercolor and very portable. 

My reference photo and underpainting on mounted Uart (the old uart mounted paper) 

I had a lot of fun with this underpainting. I used yellow Inktense sticks for the foliage to give my trees a head start. I find yellow very challenging to keep vibrant!  I loved the effects I got with the alcohol wash. Look at the interesting drips!  My goal was to allow some of this underpainting to peek through. If you haven't tried these yet put them on your list. They are too much fun!

The finished underpainting. Look at the cool drips!

Watch the underpainting come to life in this week's Patreon Video!

Come join the fun on my Patreon page. This week I posted the video of the underpainting and step by step demo of this painting. The cost is $4 a month for unlimited access to all of the content on the page. I also have a community page for you to share your work and ask for feedback. www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

Why a Tie-Dye Underpainting is Cool

'The Beauty of Sparseness'          8x10        pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $145

 I didn't intend to make a psychedelic underpainting. It was one of those fun happy accidents. But I embraced it's coolness and made it work for me. Now you can be sure I will be trying to recreate the tie-dye effect in future underpaintings. Here is why and how I did it.

I love these things!!! Read more

I was sharing unusual underpainitng techniques with a student last week. We tried the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons and my favorite fun medium.....Art Graf pigment squares. I've reviewed them on my blog here. They always surprise me. Their intensity explodes with a little water or alcohol. Only a tiny bit is needed to get bold intense color. They dry just as intense!

For my demo I wanted to show how the primary color Art Graf squares could be used to create more colors. I made purples and green and orange. I had it all and when I wet the pigment they mixed and mingled and went tie dye on me!

The underpainting looks like tie dye!

I wasn't sure what I would do with it but then I realized it was a great start for a subtle quiet painting.

• I am reminded that it is easier to tone down and lighten a passage than it is to make it bolder or more intense. 
• It is good to have a little boldness in a mostly quiet painting. These tiny bits of dark and intense color is a good balance for a mostly gray painting.

I had a quiet marsh painting in mind so the tie dye underpainting would provide just enough variety. Cool!

close up detail

QUESTIONS ABOUT MY NEW PATREON PAGE

I want to thank you for your wonderful response to my new page. Welcome to all of my new patrons! I have posted the second installment to the paint along and I am excited about how it looks! I want to clarify that the content I will share on the Patreon page is IN ADDITION to this blog and my Sunday videos. I hope you will consider the $4 a month pledge for the expanded content but rest assured I will continue to post as usual here! Check out the new page here www.patreon.com/karenmargulis

Lesson From an Unintentional Underpainting: Weekly Inspiration

'The Quiet Time'         8x10        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $145

A interesting thing happened in the studio today. I didn't plan it. But I did embrace it. And what could have been frustrating turned into something joyful. It was time for my daily painting. I didn't really have a plan other than wanting to reuse a piece of paper from my reject pile. I pulled out a nice 8x10 piece of white sanded paper. It had a few blue and gold marks from an old demo. It would be the perfect candidate for an alcohol wash.  But I didn't get the results I expected.

The unintentional underpainting

I should have brushed off the pastel marks before using the alcohol. There was more pastel on the paper than I thought and as soon as the brush with alcohol hit the pastel it turned into a gummy blob.

Note: Alcohol washes work best with thin layers of harder pastels. Soft pastels such as Terry Ludwigs may get thick and pasty. Also....pure colors give more vibrant results.

Not only was my pastel turning into a thick mess, the light pastels I had used made it even more pasty. In a bit of frustration I took the handle of the brush and started drawing into the thick pastel mess. I started to see a marsh emerge! I started to get excited and continued drawing my big shapes with the brush handle.

When the underpainitng was dry I painted the marsh I had envisioned and the texture from the thick pastel and scratch marks worked beautifully in my favor. An important lesson was revealed.

"There's nothing quite as beautiful as the unintentional."

            Lyle Carbajal

Perhaps Bob Ross would call it a Happy Accident. But the lesson was clear. Sometimes things happen that are unexpected. We can either fight it or try to change it to our original plan.....or we can embrace it and let something more beautiful emerge.

Pastel FAQ: How Do I Choose Underpainting Colors?

'Woodland Reverie'          8x10       pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $195

The fun continues in KEMStudios. It is great to be home with nothing on the agenda other than paint for pure enjoyment. It is a perfect time for experimentation and new discoveries. Today's painting was done on the new Yi Cai sanded pastel paper and it is a good example for today's Pastel FAQ.

How do I choose the colors for an underpainting?  

That is a loaded question and an important one. Underpaintings or block-ins as I sometimes call them set the tone and mood for a painting. Of course the colors we choose for the underpainting will have an effect on the finished painting. Warm colors tend to give a sunny feeling while cool colors tend to promote a moody or cool feeling. That is just a general truth. There is a lot more that goes into choosing underpainting colors.

• You can either choose colors that serve a purpose such as choosing local colors or choosing colors to promote depth or choosing simple value based underpainting colors.

• You can choose colors that don't solve a potential problem but are just playful such as choosing bold colors or complementary colors....colors that are designed to promote visual excitement or just lead to wonderful happy accidents.

It is important that we experiment with many different underpainting choices rather than relying on the same color solutions for each painting. The more we do,  the more experiences we have... the sooner our color choices for underpaintings will become intuitive.

How did I decide what colors to use for the underpainting for this painting? I selected colors to serve a purpose rather than playful. I did cover up all of the underpainting because it was designed to serve only as my roadmap.

• I used color to set up a value map. I chose dark blue for the dark areas of the woods and the shadows in the grass.

• I used light values for the sky and tree trunks. (aspens) I used light pink for the lightest trunks and light blue for the trunks in shadow.

• I used bright pink for the areas in the grass that will have flowers. This is to set up the massing of the little flowers.

Scroll down to see the development of the painting. I am using a beige  piece of Yi Cai sanded pastel paper. I used Nupastels and a wash with water. The paper bowed very slightly but flattened out as it dried. Note the interesting texture this paper has.

closeup detail

Note: I am loving the Yi Cai paper. I need to do more wet underpinnings on lighter paper. This one didn't really show up because the paper was a dark-mid value. I really enjoy how the pastels seem to go on like butter. I am able to get both nice thick textured marks as well as fine detail with harder pastels. The experiments will continue.

Trying a HOT Underpainting...The Fun Continues

'A Beautiful Tangle'          8x10        pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available on Etsy $165

I am officially hooked. It doesn't take much to get me excited and these little Caran d'Ache crayons have done the trick. I am having so much fun creating underpaintings with them and thanks to your suggestions I am branching out and exploring even more!

My friend and wonderful artist Robert Sloan commented on yesterday's post and I am sharing what he said because he has some great ideas for using the Caran d'Aches Neocolor II crayons.

"I love these crayons. I have a large set of them and a 15 color pocket kit, they work well wet or dry. One thing I found delightful with them is that the colors are generally opaque, which makes them very different from using transparent watercolors for underpainting or sketching. This makes it possible to block in value areas on pastel paper with light or bright colors over black, so the entire painting can really pop! Many wet underpainting techniques don't work as well on dark colors because of transparency, but these rule for it.
I liked doing paintings on black with white or light accents, high tone difference with rich blacks and darks. For underpainting the light areas with white, a white Neocolor II is perfect. They can also go on by brush just using them like a watercolor pan, same as using gouache."

So here is what was next on the easel. I decided to go hot and bold!

My HOT underpainitng using the Neocolor II crayons

I took out another piece of UArt 400 grit paper for my next experiment. My reference photo was a closeup of a summer prairie garden. It was filled with a tangle of green with a few flowers. It was primarily a cool scene with all of the green. I wanted to add some excitement and infuse the scene with warm sunlight. I decided to go warm and bold with the underpainting.

I only have a limited selection of Neocolors (I need to remedy this) so I used orange and yellow for the background and the local colors of red violet and blue violet for the flowers. I used a wet wash with water to liquify the color. It remained bold and vibrant. I took out the purple crayon and scribbled  on the flowers right on the wet paper. You can see the scribble marks in the photo above.

The first few layers before creating more clarity in the flowers

 Once the underpainting was dry I was ready to add pastel. I wanted to be sure to let some of the HOT underpainting colors to peek through my tangle of green. I'm happy to say that I used restraint and succeeded. It was then just a matter of building the flowers and adding clarity and detail. What a fun way to start a painting!

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II in use

I am going to TRY to do a new video demonstrating the Neocolor II underpainting on Sunday around noon. I'll post it when I am finished.

Friday Fun with Pastels....A Fun Underpainting Technique to Try

'High Country Summer'          8x10         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available for purchase $145

It's Friday and time for a weekend of painting and exploring the wonderful world of pastel. I am devoting every Friday to trying a new technique or discovery. It will give me the weekend to play with something new! Of course I invite you to join me as I make new discoveries.

This week's inspiration came from an old Pastel Journal from 2002. (more on this later) Artist Schelly Keefer shared her technique of using Caran d'Ache crayons for underpaintings. She took the underpainting further by choosing complementary colors. I couldn't wait to get into the studio and pull out my small set of Caran d'Ache crayons and give them a try!

Caran d'Ache Neocolors II water soluble crayons 

These Swiss made crayons are actually water soluble wax oil pastels. Here is some information from the website:

 Type: Water-soluble wax oil pastel
– Soft, velvety texture, does not crumble
– Ultra-high pigment concentration, superior covering power, luminous colours, excellent light resistance
– CE EN71 and ASTM D4236 compliant
– Techniques: Wet or dry drawing on various materials, watercolour, wash drawing, scraping or for applying to light panels.

Before doing a wash....looks and feels a lot like crayons

I decided to use mostly local colors for my underpainting. I thought these colors might make the finished painting more vibrant. I did a quick drawing on Uart 400 grit paper and then applied the crayons. I didn't press too hard and used linear scribbles rather than solid color.

Then I wet the crayon with a bristle rush and water. I loved how intense and vibrant the colors were. They just exploded with color! I also like how some of the wax didn't dissolve leaving some interesting areas in the underpainting.

The wet wash left some waxy areas which I love

 Once dry it was time for the pastels. I tried not to cover all of the interesting underpainting. The pastel went over the dried wash without a problem. I was able to get as many layers as I needed. The neocolors didn't  fill the tooth of the paper.

It was a quick and easy way to do a wet underpainting. It was also a lot of fun!  Have a look at the closeups below.

close up photos of the pastel over neocolor II

Take Note for Better Underpaintings

'Fields of Gold'        9x12         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $145

There really is no right or wrong. When it comes to underpainting colors every choice will give you a different result. No one result is the 'correct' choice. However we can make better choices. We can choose the underpainting colors that will better help us express our concept for the painting. 

It helps if you know what you hope to express with your painting. Ask yourself before you start....what mood do I want? What are the weather conditions? How do I want the viewer to feel?

Then choose colors that will help create the feeling you want.

some underpainitng notes

The next step is to figure out what those colors should be! You can certainly guess and take your chances. But a better way is to do small and quick color studies. I call it taking color notes.

•  Color Notes are small and rough studies done on the same type and color paper that you will be working on. 
• A simple way to take color notes is to draw 2-4 boxes on the paper. Begin the note taking by choosing some underpainting colors for each box. I like to do simple 4 value underpaintings or block-ins.
• Think of color combinations that might work of your painting. Start with a warm underpainting or maybe a cool one. Try bold colors. Try colors to suggest depth. Pick random colors (more on this later)
• Once you have filled your boxes with some underpainting color choices do a quick study on top with your final colors. In the painting above I layered the final local colors on top of the underpaintings.
• Now select the underpainitng colors that best express your concept.

After doing this exercise I decided I like the mood created by the warm underpainting. I have already covered it up in the photo but the underpainting colors were 4 values of orange. The warm colors helped me express the warmth of the field of autumn flowers. 

That was fun! I think I'd like to try some of the other underpainting colors!

Listening to an Underpainting

'Serenity         8x10        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

Oh the wonderful surprises I find in my studio! Actually in my studio storage room. We converted our garage into a hang out room for the kids when they were teens. Now I have taken over the space with art stuff. I'll show you a picture someday but it is a scary place!  The other day I uncovered this board with three different underpaintings. I used it for one of my early pastel classes. I think it is time I just paint on the samples!

A selection of underpainting techniques to try: wet pastel, watercolor, oil stain and a mystery

The problem is I no longer have any idea what I was trying to paint. The reference are long gone and forgotten. Not really a problem! It is actually a gift. Now I can look at the underpainting and let it speak to me. What does it suggest? What do the colors want to do? What does this underpainting want to be?

It is clear to me that this wants to be a marsh. So I took out my marsh photos and chose one with warm autumn colors. I decided to go with  autumn golden grasses with a subdued sky.  It was fun to let the underpainting guide me and I can't wait to do the next one!

Tease: I used a special pastel sent to me by a friend. I'll share more soon!

watercolor underpainting on Uart 5oo

 Try this: This weekend why not take out some paper and paint and just do underpaintings. Don't worry about painting with pastels just play with underpaintings. Put them aside for a week or so and THEN paint on them letting the underpaintings guide your choice of subject.

Exploring Underpaintings. Try This!

'Changing'           9x12         pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $225

It came to me in a dream last night. I woke up with a vague memory of painting. I don't remember what I was painting but I did remember that I had started with a a very specific underpainting.  Of course I had to try it today!

In my dream I did a combination warm and cool underpainting. I used cool colors in the shadows and warm colors in the areas lit by the sun. It is such a simple way to give your painting a head start in capturing the light. I was excited to give it a try.

Blocking in the painting with big shapes of warm and cool colors

I chose a photo from my favorite park. It was late afternoon and the trees were catching the last fiery rays of the setting sun. It was late autumn so there was a chill in the air. But the warmth of the trees made up for the cold.

I took out a piece of dark gray Canson Mi-Teintes paper and my box of Nupastels.  I dis a simple block in with oranges for the sunlit trees and blues for the tree and grasses in the shadows. I added a pale blue-green for the sky.

adding the trunks and branches

I developed some of the branches with my Terry Ludwig eggplant pastel and then continued layering with soft pastels. All I had to do was follow the warm and cool block-in colors. With each layer I refined the trees and grasses. I used the sky color to further refine the trees. It was fun to work on a painting that I started in my dreams! I know I will use this underpainting technique again. How about you?

my tiny reference photo in the top left corner

Underpainting for pastels is a complicated subject. There are so many ways to start a pastel painting. There are so many underpainting choices with no right or wrong way to go about it. I have put together a three day workshop on underpainting so I have much more to share than I can in this one post. But a quick point....every underpainting choice you make will influence the painting. I encourage you to experiment and play so that your underpainting choices will become intuitive.

An Amazing Underpainting Technique

'Autumn Evening'         9x12         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $155

I cannot resist an art store. So when my friend and I found ourselves in Santa Fe last week with some extra time to spare we made a stop at Artisans, an art store in Sante Fe New Mexico. We didn't really need anything but you never know what treasure you might find.

And I found a wonderful treasure! My favorite Art Graf squares in primary colors! You may have read about or tired these Art Graf pigment blocks. I have used the earth toned squares for underpainting and I loved the results. They are a strange thing....they feel waxy almost like a crayon but when applied to paper and wet with water or alcohol they EXPLODE with rich color.

It takes very little application to get a rich and dark resulting tone. They are fantastic for toning paper or for underpainting for pastels.

Art Graf squares in primary colors for wonderful possibilities

I had to buy this set of primary colors! I was excited for the possibilities since it is easy to layer and mix the pigment of the squares. I tried the squares for my aspen demo at my workshop  and I was thrilled with the rich results. (see Friday's post here)
One evening at the workshop we had a paper toning party and all of the artists had fun using the Art Graf to tone paper and create underpaintings. We are now all fans! You can find the Art Graf squares on Amazon and I have also seen them online at Cheap Joes. Below you can see how I used the primary color squares for today's painting.

I applied the Art Graf lightly by coloring on my sanded paper (Pastel Premier white)

After wetting the pigment with water and a brush.

Starting to add pastel over the underpainting

The finished painting

Thank you to all of you who commented with their guesses for Friday's painting. Great ideas for underpainting. I love all of the possibilities and I look forward to exploring these Art Graf squares!