Current Main Watercolor Palette

I like having these records about my palleter. I use them when I am making a decision as to what color to remove or how to simplify my palette, what colors to pick for the particular project. Or what colors to add to a yet new palette. 

But I also use these when I need a boost. Making these record reminds me how much I enjoy just playing with color. And later on I can go back to these, see how I loved some color or color combination and would be excited to paint again.

These are useful when I need to reorder fresh tubes of paint too. 

Afternoon outing to paint fall colors

Pocket gouache

This is a note to myself - to record what gouache kit I took with me to the island trip at the beginning of the summer and how I changed the colors after.

Note: adding a drop of gum arabic to the dry paint when topping it off worked very well - even for crumbly colors like Alizarin Crimson.

And here is how I felt about some of the colors after the trip and a month of daily gouaches in June (read the names of the colors) and how I started thinking about changing colors.

Resulting in this palette - which is currently sitting in my bag.

Right now this pocket gouache solution works really great!
I only wish I found a collapsible flat brush to carry with me.

Sketchbook #115: First Pages are often about my current palettes :)

Top - main "sketchbook palette", bottom one is a compact palette from Expeditionary Art - filled with experimental colors. Though many stay there for very long time as I find they make it to some favorite mixes. I think I am getting closer to a good set of green mixes - which reminds me - I should work on it this fall... and I need to get more pans for my experimental palette...

Sketchbook #114: Palettes

After a bit of travel hiatus I am back to blogging with high res images - and first come my watercolor palettes (larger one is the main and smaller one has all the extra / crazy colors) and my dry gouache palette. I take it with me when I travel as it raises fewer questions at the airport but it takes longer to make colors work with it and I kill brushes often as I have to really work pigment into them for the desired gouache-ness.

Sketchbook #112: My Palettes

I draw my tools pretty regularly - just because they are right in front of me :)

But this time I decided to allocate first pages of a new sketchbook (it's a Stillman & Birn Alpha softcover) specifically for a record of my current palettes and colors.

This is something I saw in Liz Steel's sketchbook - and later noticed that a great many other artists enjoy this ritual :)

Sketchbook #108: Palette

Sketchbook #107: My Life Drawing Class and getting Ready for travel sketching.

Sketchbook #95: Last batch of pages - odds and ends

Sketchbook #91: Leftovers

These were last pages of June-to almost end of July Sketchbook #91 - I refreshed my current palette and drew it and then looked at flowers I keep with the palette in mind. And some everyday moments - basil plant which I almost killed, then watered and sketched right before it became a salad and my ongoing life drawing class with ballpoint pen.


This is it - I am almost on track - just one month difference between my current sketchbook and the one I am posting! Let's see hot long it will take me to catch up! :)

Sketchbook #90: Playing with colors and my life drawing class.

Updating my gear :)

Getting pine needles out of my palette., a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.
I am washing, cleaning pine needles, sand and what looks like fuzz out of my palette.
Then topping wells that are showing heavy use and adding a few new colors. Spring cleaning! 
Above is my main palette - small Windsor&Newton and below is my tiny experimental one - from Maria Coryell-Martin.
 
Now there is this:

A few month ago I put a few pencils in my sketching pouch, and today I took out 48... Let's see if I can get back to... 12?