Art by Vivian Cooper

How to Make a Gift Box from a Christmas Card

Tuesday's Tips and Turtorials

 

My family was up-cycling before up-cycling was cool! My Grandmother was the queen of reusing things. Having grown up during the depression it was a necessity to get every bit of use you could squeeze out of something. My granny didn't use fancy words like up-cycle though, she just called it good sense!

I don't know about you but I have an abundance of Christmas cards. I save each and every one anyone has ever sent to me. Little memory time capsules from my loved ones.

My Spud Muffin gets annoyed with the many many MANY boxes stuffed with cards.

I just ignore him.

I bring them out each year and decorate my home with them. It is a way of surrounding myself with the love sent over time from my friends and family.

In the spirit of my Grandma I am going to start making them into gift boxes. And I am going to share how to do that with y'all right here.

What you need:

• Card
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pen/ pencil
• Double sided tape
  
  

First cut the card in half. This will be the top and bottom of your box.

Then take the bottom (the piece without out the Christmas image) and cut just a sliver off of each edge. Approximately 1/8 inch. Don't cut too much or your box won't fit together tightly.

Next mark each piece. (box Top and Bottom) Mark on the backside. (Don't mark on the side with the image)

First Line your ruler up with the short sides of each piece and mark 3/4 inch from each side. Then line your ruler up on the long side of each piece and mark 3/4 inch and then another 3/4 of an inch from the first mark. (shown above)

Next connect the marks you made on the short sides. Also take note that the first 3/4 inch marks you made on the long side are not connected from side to side, they only go from line to line.

Then you want to cut the short sides. Cut just to the second line and fold the flaps as shown in picture.

Now fold on each solid line. Do this to both pieces.

Fold the long sides up and the flaps inward. Place double stick tape on the edge of the short flap. Fold the short side over the two tabs of the longer sides and press down to secure double sided tape.

Repeat this on the other short end. Do this to both pieces and now you have a top and bottom to your box!

Don't have Christmas cards? That's okay use card stock and stamp or paint your own design on the top! Use decorative punches and punch out images to decorate the top! Embellish the sides with ribbon, tinsel or glitter! These make the sweetest little gift boxes for stuffing into Christmas stockings. Or you could add some decorative ribbon and hang them on your tree! Let your imagination run wild!

If you have any questions about this tutorial leave them in the comment section and I will answer them promptly!

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Football Bulldog Painting Tips

 For anyone that knows me,  it is no secret I love Bulldogs. I have three and they make for hours of entertainment. Their loyalty is unparalleled. But I really love them because Bulldogs make great models for painting. So much personality in those wrinkles and rolls.

I have been working on a line of cards and prints featuring Bulldog sports themes. You can find them in my Etsy Shop. Today I completed a third in a series of 8 x 10 watercolor prints.

I stretched an 8 x 10 inch piece of 140# watercolor paper and sketched out my design.

Started painting the football by first painting it with a clear wash of water then dropping in Yellow Ocher and Burnt Sienna. Also used the same colors for the Bulldogs eye adding a little Paynes Gray in the area around the eye.

The bulldog's head gets a light wash of Yellow Ocher. (Lots of water and just a little paint to make it transparent)

For the wrinkle creases I use Burnt Umber mixed with very little water so it is a thicker consistency. Once I apply it, I take my brush and load it with clear water and soften he edges of the Burnt Umber.

The Bulldog's body gets the same technique. Yellow Ocher wash with Burnt Umber in creases and shadows. I use a Paynes Gray and Indigo Blue mix to start working the shadows of the wrist and finger taping of the football player's hands.

For the flesh tones of the player's hand I used Yellow Ocher, Ultramarine Blue and Q. Rose. The lighter part of the flesh is made with Yellow Ocher and Q.Rose mixed with lots of water. The shadows of the hand are made by mixing Ultramarine Blue with the Yellow Ocher and Q. Rose mixture.

Burnt Umber darkens the shadows on the football and between the fingers.

To finish the painting, the sky was painted with clear water and then a mixture of Cobalt Teal and Cobalt Blue is dropped in and let mix on the paper. The grass is painted in with a mixture of Yellow Ocher and Sap Green. There you have it!

The third painting in my Bulldog sports series.

You can find these prints  as well as other Bulldog themed items in my Etsy Shop

Be sure and share this post with all your bulldog loving friends!

 

Watercolor! Oh How I Have Missed YOU!

Watercolor, you beautiful glowing vibrant liquid of pure happiness, I have missed you!

Recently I have been working in different types of media and creating more products for my Etsy Shop and sadly neglecting my watercolors.

 I finally reunited with my love. It was sheer bliss. This was my happy place!

 

  Sketched out my design on 300 lb Arches watercolor. Then I put liquid mask on the areas I wanted to remain white which included the highlights in the eyes, the toenails and the banner stick.

The eyes and face are usually my starting point. A mix of Paynes Gray and Indigo for the pupils. The face was given a light wash of Raw Sienna (a little paint + lots of water). Once that dried I started working the wrinkle shadows with Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber. Using Burnt Umber mixed with just a small amount of water for the darkest creases. Then I like to go back with a brush loaded with clear water and just go down the edge of shadow to soften it. Then I load the brush with Burnt Sienna and blend it along the edges of the Burnt Umber. I make sure to leave some of the Raw Sienna showing for the highlight.

I use the same colors for the body. First a light wash of Raw Sienna. Let that dry. Then Burnt Umber for the darkest creases and a little Burnt Sienna for the middle tones. Using clear water to soften and blend.

For shadows in the white area on his face and chest I just mixed a little Indigo and Paynes gray with a lot of water. I decided I wanted some type of blue for the banner to make the earth tones in the puppy's coat pop. I decided on Cobalt Teal. The color straight from the tube was too strong so I added some Paynes gray to tone it down.  For the banner, I wet the whole area avoiding the letters and just dropped in the Cobalt Teal mixture. I decided I liked the blue and it became my background as well.

Ahh I love my watercolors. I must not stay away from them so long!

PS: If you haven't signed up for my Newsletter... now would be a good time to do so. Why You ask. I tell you Right Here.  <click on it!

 

 

 

Dogwood Demo

Tuesday Tutorial

 

My home is surrounded by clouds of white flowers during the spring. I have 8 Dogwood trees in my yard and they are showing out this year. This shameless display of beauty inspired me to paint a few Dogwoods.

I took some photos and gathered supplies.

• Arches 300 lb cold pressed watercolor paper (I cut mine to 5 x 7 for this demo)
• brushes size 2, 6, 14
• clean water for rinsing brushes and mixing washes
• pencil, transfer paper (I prefer Saral Graphite paper), paper towels, tracing paper (optional)
• watercolor paints: Sap Green, Hookers Green, Cadmium Yellow Lt, Cerulean Blue, Anthraquinone Blue (A. Blue), Quinacridone Rose (Q. Rose), Neutral Tint
• Liquid masking fluid and something to apply it with

This is my reference photo, I changed the composition just a bit to make it a bit more simple.

I transferred my drawing to the watercolor paper using the Saral Transfer paper. Make sure you use a wax free transfer paper.

Where I want my whites to remain I mask them off using liquid masking fluid and a bamboo skewer. You can use a number of things to apply the masking fluid EXCEPT a good brush! Never use a good brush to apply masking fluid!! It will destroy your brush!

Once the masking fluid is dry, I put a light wash of sap green + Cadmium Yellow Lt on the leaves and in the center of each flower. Adding more yellow to the flower centers. Let it dry.

The leaf shadows are then darkened with hookers green and the ribs of the leaves are painted in. For the shadows on the white flowers some Anthraquinone Blue with a lot of water. Let it dry. You can use a blow dryer (hair dryer) to speed it up. 

I put a wash of Q. rose on the background and let it dry. Then I remove the masking fluid. Make sure the paint is completely dry before you remove the masking or you may smear your paint. Not pretty.

Once the background is dry I put a glaze of Cerulean Blue over the Q. Rose. I wet the paper first and then just drop in the blue so some of the Rose will show through. I also took some A. blue and darkened the shadows on the white flowers and. The centers of the flowers were darkened with hookers green+ A. blue just in the shadows. 

While the background was still wet I added extra A. blue just under the white petals to create shadows and dropped some sap green to the back ground. The shadows of the flower petals were then refined and darkened using a mix of A. blue and Q. Rose. Let dry.

The last thing I did was take a weak wash of Neutral tint (lots of water) and glazed over the background to make the flowers come forward and push the background to the back.

Practice practice practice. And have fun!

 

 

Radiant Orchid

Radiant Orchid Iris ©VivianCooper2014

Ok so it's actually an Iris and not an Orchid.

According to Pantone, the color for 2014 is Radiant Orchid. I saw this beautiful Iris on a trip to The Biltmore Estates. I thought of the Pantone color of the year immediately when I saw the iris and decided to capture the vibrant purple with it's undertones of pink and fuchsia.

sketch on 300lb Arches watercolor paper

Sketched it out and made sure to draw in the areas that would be highlighted.

Liquid mask applied

All of the areas I want to remain white I mask with liquid masking fluid. Then I let it dry.

First washes

I mixed French Ultramarine Blue and Quinacridone Rose and lots of water to create the wash.

Paint the edges

Then added another layer to the areas that will be darker. Included more Q.Rose in the wash.

Laying in the shadows.

 

In the areas to remain lighter I took a dry paper towel and blotted out some color. In the areas to be shadowed I added a glaze of French Ultramarine Blue.

Working around the flower

 

As I work on the flower, I put in more F. Ultramarine in the areas in shadow and for the areas facing the sun and "warmer", I add more Q. Rose.

Shadows across the petals

 

For the shadow across the white part of the  petal use plenty of water and a touch of neutral tint.

Begin removing the mask

 

At this point I begin to remove the liquid mask to reveal the dotted pattern on the edge of the petals.

Start adding details and background

 

For the greens I mixed Lemon Yellow and Sap Green and Hookers Green with Cadmium Yellow.

At this point all of my masking has been removed. The very dark greens in the background really makes the iris "pop

 

Reference photo

Here is the painting with the reference photo, my version of Radiant Orchid.

Using Yellow In a Watercolor Painting is Tricky

Floral Friday

Spring has sprung and my first blooms have popped out!

Definitely floral inspiration for my watercolor painting! Here is just an overview of the process and not meant to be a full tutorial! I will start having full tutorials on watercolor and pastels on Tuesdays of each week starting in April. Well... as full as I can make them.

Spring Pops, Watercolor, 12 x 7, ©VivianCooper 2014

Yellow is a tricky color to work with. The shadows are hard to create using just layers of yellow. And adding blue or Violet can create an unpleasant green or muddy cast to the shadows.  I have started experimenting with using a very watery mixture of neutral tint for the shadows to see if this works better. So far it is ok but I plan to experiment more and try to push the envelope on yellow. I am not going to let it get the best of me!

Shadows painted with a watery neutral tint

I let the shadows dry completely and then I decide which flowers will be "warm" and which will be "cool" The warm flowers I will paint with a yellow more toward red and the cool ones will be a yellow more toward blue. In this case my warm yellow is Cadmium yellow and my cool yellow will be Lemon yellow. Now that is decided I begin glazing.

Begining glazes

The top, right and bottom flowers are painted with warm yellow (Cadmium). The flowers to the very left and the one directly beneath it are painted with cool yellow (Lemon). Can you see the difference in the yellows?

The trick to glazing is to let each layer dry COMPLETELY before adding the next layer or you will end up with mud.

I then start adding oranges mixed from Cadmium Red and Cad. Yellow (warm) along with some oranges  mixed from Alizarin Crimson and Lemon yellow (cool). I also paint the rim of the flower cups with these mixtures.  Add in the stems, some purple accent flowers and background. There ya go! Hope you like it.

Get Started in Pastels with a Few Basic Supplies

Basic Pastel Supplies

Pastel is among the most popular art mediums today. It is prized for its rich color and easy handling. I love it because it is a very direct medium and gives me instant satisfaction. I like instant satisfaction. You don't have to learn to mix colors on a palette, handle brushes or other equipment and spend hours drawing before you apply color. Nope. You can just pick up a pastel and start. It is both a drawing and a painting medium.

 

The most appealing thing about pastel is it doesn't take much equipment to get started.

• Pastel Sticks - These come in hard and soft types. Hard pastels are usually square and used for under painting. Soft pastels are shown in the photo. You can buy sets or buy them individually (open stock). Cheap Joe's Art Stuff  carries a good variety. Many other art supply stores do as well.
• Pastel Pencils- Use these for detail work
• Paper- There are a variety of papers for pastel use and most are tinted (colored). One of the least expensive is Canson Mi-Teints Paper. You can also experiment with other types of paper such as velour, sanded, charcoal paper or watercolor paper. The paper MUST have a texture in order to hold the pastel to the surface.
• Support- The pastel paper will need to be attached to a support. This must be smooth and firm.  Foamcore board  is light weight and very easy to handle but a wooden drawing board, masonite or any firm smooth surface will suffice.
• Tape or Bulldog Clips-These are used to hold the paper to the support.
• Exacto Knife or Razor- Handy for sharpening your pastels.
• Cotton Swabs-For blending colors
• Kneaded Eraser- for lifting color and erasing.
• Paint Brushes- For brushing off excess pastel and blending.
• Box- to transport pastel sticks *I have a great tutorial on how to build your own pastel box click here
  

A few other things that would be nice to have handy but not completely necessary are an easel, rags or baby wipes (for cleaning your hands), cotton balls, Galssine paper (to cover work in order to protect it during transport) and a chair if you prefer to sit while you paint.

The most expensive thing on this list will be the pastel sticks. You can buy them in a set or open stock (individual sticks). I do it both ways. You can also buy half sticks and Pan pastels.

A Good Starter Palette

• Ultramarine Blue No. 6
• Ultramarine Blue  No. 1
• Prussian Blue No. 3
• Cerulean Blue No. 4
• Purple No. 6
• Mauve No. 2
• Crimson Lake No. 6
• Cadmium Red No. 6
• Cadmium Tangerine No. 4
• Yellow Ocher No. 6
• Yellow Ocher No. 1
• Cadmium Yellow No. 4
• Lemon Yellow No. 6
• Olive Green No. 8
• Hookers Green No. 3
• Hookers Green No. 1
• Sap Green No. 5
• Lizard Green No. 3
• Green Gray No. 1
• Blue Gray No. 4
• Cool Gray No. 4
• Burnt Umber No.  8
• Raw Umber No. 6
• Burnt Sienna No. 4
• Silver White
• Lamp Black

This is where the money is! You don't HAVE to buy all of these to start off. The most important thing to remember is that all pastel colors come in different "values", that means the lightness or darkness of the color. Different manufacturers denote the value (tints) in different ways, mostly by numbering them. for example, 1 is the lightest and usually 10 the darkest. Read the manufacturers details to find out how that particular pastel is marked with the value of the tint. Some make up to 200 tints of the same color.

 

Raw Umber Tint 1 and Tint 5

Above is an example of Burnt Umber in two of the many tints available. Tint 1 is the lightest shade and tint 5 is going into the darker range. I recommend at LEAST having a light and dark tint of the colors you will use.

 

Buy some different types of paper to see which one you like best. Really paper and pastels are the main things you HAVE to have. Now gather some pastels supplies and start experimenting!

 

 

 

How To Make a Pastel Box

Tuesday Tutorial

I was researching pastel boxes to keep my pastels all in one place to create a better working system. To say I was a bit shocked at the prices in the art stores would be an understatement!

Being a frugal person I decided I could make my own. It wasn't difficult and took very little time. Just a few supplies and I was on my way to an inexpensive pastel box.

• Foamcore board
• Clear packing tape
• Exacto or craft knife
• Straight edge/ ruler
• pencil

First I decided that my box had to have 6 compartments to be able to sort my pastels into 6 different values. Then I measured the length of a full pastel stick and added 1/2 inch to that for wiggle room. This would be the the width of each compartment. Then to find the width of my box to accommodate six compartments I multiplied 6x (width of pastel stick +1/2 in) (for me this was approximately 19 inches). The length was completely arbitrary and I settled on 15 inches. You can make more or less compartments but this works best for me. The size of your box and each compartment is completely up to you.Mine came out to be 16 x 19 inches.

I then took my measurements and cut 1 bottom and 4 sides from the foam core with a straight edge and an Exacto knife. Since I wanted 6 compartments I also cut 5 dividers the same length as my box.

Then use clear packing tape and tape each side to the bottom. Do opposite ends first and then attach the remaining two sides. I reinforced the tape at the corners and where each side piece met the bottom.

Once the box was complete then I just added the dividers and secured them with tape.

I wanted to line each compartment with corrugated cardboard but I didn't have any so I substituted bubble wrap. This acts as a cushion and allows pastel dust to settle to the bottom. Now I have an inexpensive sturdy box to keep my pastels organized. It will last until I can afford a "real" one.

 

 
If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section. I will answer them asap.

3 Ways to Attract Birds for Painting Inspiration

 Miscellaneous Monday! 

Birds have fascinated me since I was a child. In the spring I would hunt for nests with eggs and once found I would keep a close eye on the nest. I wanted to witness a brave little chick entering the world. I was quite successful and saw many wet feather bundles  peck their way from the confines of their eggshell. I always felt a little jolt of triumph each time one burst forth.

Birds are a popular subject for painting. Try to attract as many species as possible to get great variety of reference photos for future paintings. You can do this in 3 ways.

Provide Food

Place feeding stations around your yard. I have one right in front of my studio window. Many websites give instructions on how to make bird feeders. One of my favorites is Birds and Blooms. Patiently wait and photograph the birds for reference photos as they visit the feeders. Different types of food may be offered, sunflower seeds, thistle seeds and suet seem to be the favorites in my neck of the woods. Don't forget the hummingbirds! They love sugar water and if you are patient will accept it right from your hand. Research your local birds and find out what kind of food attracts them.

Provide Water for Drinking and Bathing

Bird baths and ponds offer wonderful opportunities for the birds to drink and bathe. Always keep the bird baths clean and filled with fresh water. In the winter if you experience freezing temperatures you can buy heated bird baths to ensure your feathered friends have plenty to drink in the winter months.

 

My Backyard Pond

 

Provide Nesting Sites and Materials

Research the types of birds that come to your yard and put up nest boxes for them in different spots around your property. Plant shrubs and trees for safe nest building spots for birds that won't use a nest box. In the spring gather dryer lint, dog hair and strings and put them in a suet holder to provide nest building materials. There is a great article written by Julie Day on the site Today's Homeowner providing lots of tips and ideas about providing nesting materials. For nesting box info and building plans you can visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology page Nest Watch

If you would like to see some of the birds I have photographed this winter visit my Facebook Page  Album here

These are two bird paintings I have completed this winter but you can see more at my Etsy Shop ViviansART

Feel free to browse around! Happy Birding.

 

Watercolor, 5 x 7 Chickadee, ©VivianCooper2013

 

 

Cardinal, Watercolor, 7 x 5 ©VivianCooper2013

 

Why I Love Pastels

Pastel 8 x 10 Cane Corso ©VivianCooper2014

I have loved painting with pastels since I was a child. Unlike watercolor, which took years to learn, I was almost instantly successful with pastel. The ease of handling and the ability to layer the colors or blend them right on the painting surface gave me instant satisfaction.

Pastels were once thought of as just a drawing tool and not a medium for a finished art work. Thankfully Edgar Degas pushed pastel painting from a sketching tool into a fully accepted major artistic medium. I love that guy!

Pastels have a reputation for being delicate, easily smudged and easily damaged. With modern fixatives and proper handling these concerns have been reduced considerably. Being almost pure pigment pastels are actually very tough. They are light fast, won't crack when framed or stored properly and they will last indefinitely.  Degas' pastels have been around for 97 years and are just as brilliant and beautiful as the day he completed them. That's pretty cool considering pastel is powdered pigment rubbed on paper.

 I have recently decided to start offering pastels works in my Etsy Shop. I am also going to begin doing tutorials and information articles about pastel painting here on my blog.  So stay tuned.

In the mean time here is a sample of my pastel work for you to enjoy.

Gurley Girl, Pastel, © VivianCooper2014

 

Lindsey, Pastel, © VivianCooper2014

 

Lizy Jane, Pastel © VuvuanCooper2014

 

Buck, Pastel. ©VivianCooper2014

 

Jessie, Pastel, 22x32, ©VivianCooper 2014

 

Pastel 8x 10 Miniature Pinscher ©VivianCooper2014