My Rockin’ Gallery

07/30/2022

My two largest rock paintings, on a paper plate.

07/20/2022

07/19/2022

Today’s work; glossy sealer pending

06/29/2022

I painted over that canvas board painting I didn’t like. This used one broad brush for the background and q-tips to paint the details.

06/28/2022

When I don’t like a painting, I cover it with gesso. It may take several layers but it offers a fresh start. Thin layers and drying between layers are important. Some artists keep a hair dryer handy for this purpose. Brush lightly and evenly. If you leave streaks the streaks will dry hard. An extra step is spraying each layer with a matte sealer to ensure that it doesn’t peel off as you add a new layer. When satisfied that the original painting is completely covered, create a new painting as you would on a fresh canvas. This method works on rocks too.

06/26/2022

Painted 6/25/2022: Cacti; Night Owl; Circle of Love; Morpho, and Roses.

06/15/2022

05/16/2022

By now your strawberry should look like the first picture. Let it dry completely before sealing in the paint. You can either use a spray sealer, or lightly brush on ModPodge glossy or semi glossy. If you plan to keep your rock outdoors, finish with a coat or two of polyurethane transparent sealer.

05/13/2022

Once you’ve painted the leaves, paint “shadows” for an illusion of dimension. Decide where an imaginary light is coming from and paint the shadow on the opposite side of the leaves. Create the shadow by mixing red with a bit of black until the desired darkness is achieved, but not too dark.
Next, add the dots to represent the seeds of the strawberry. You can do this either by dipping the broken off toothpick tip in yellow paint, or the rounded end of a bamboo skewer, or using a fine tip brush barely moistened.
Using the darker red paint you mixed, paint shadows halfway around the seeds on the same side as the shadow of the leaves. I cheated by using a Sharpie.

05/11/2022

Gesso is a great primer. It allows color to show up brighter and also provides a base for paint to adhere to the surface. It’s also very useful in covering up mistakes. The photo on the right shows how gesso can cover up color. It is important to wait until each layer of paint is dry before painting over it.

05/09/2022

Here’s a recap of things covered so far:
* clean rock and dry thoroughly
* cover rock with several layers of gesso, allowing to dry between layers.
* lightly sketch the design with a pencil. We are painting a strawberry.
* paint the red onto the rock for the body of the strawberry. Several layers may be necessary. Dry between layers of paint.
* highlight the central area with white to add dimension. Blend well before paint dries.
* Paint the leaves green. For details, combine green with a little bit of yellow or white. Use the lightened green on half of each leaf. Add the vein lines on the darker side of the leaves. The lighter area signifies light coming from that side.

How is it going so far?