BeckerArt FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter Nov. 29th, Greeting Cards

Published: Tue, 11/29/16

 
Hello 

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #82, Greeting Cards

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! My weekend was both bad and good.... no internet service which was bad, but then turned out to be good because I had no internet service. It is amazing how much we rely on our internet and when it isn't available we freak out but then usually everything works out and it wasn't so important after all. It did take me a bit longer to get this newsletter to you but if I wouldn't have gotten it together I'm sure nobody would have minded to get it at a later date. Sometimes it's better and a lot more fun to get away from the digital age and get back to painting or just talking person to person with friends.

Next week at the Lakes Region Watercolor Guild meeting I will be demonstrating something a little different with watercolor. If you would like to see what I will be demonstrating stop by the State Bank of the Lakes

in Grayslake, located at 50 Commerce Drive from 9:30 am to noon. The public is welcome.

If you can't make the demonstration, I hopefully will get the chance to film it and show it to you in a coming newsletter.


The Lakes Region Watercolor Guild is also having a show at the Sage Gallery at the Lakeside Arts Park in Crystal Lake. For more info go HERE

David

Yes to Class at the Civic Center in Libertyville on December 1st
Yes to Class at The Studio in McHenry on December 3rd at the NEW building
No Class at the Rivellino School of Art  in Long Grove until the New Year, If you are interested in this class please let the Rivellino School of Art or myself know.

 
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Greeting Cards
December is a busy time of year for most people and of course for us artists it doesn't give us much time to paint.
I have a small solution that can help you take care of two things at once. The solution is painting your holiday greeting cards. Back when I was a student at the American Academy of Art I use to paint original Christmas cards for all the people I sent cards too. That was when I was an art student and painting every second of the day was what we art students loved to do. Now I don't have that kind of time but now we have digital printers that can turn your paintings into beautiful cards.

You can paint original cards on watercolor paper then fold the paper to make a card or mount a small watercolor to a blank card that you can get at an Art store like Blicks
Then there is the digital printing way where you send the image of your painting to a place like Shutterfly or Vista Print and they send you back cards and envelopes of your beautiful greeting cards.

Here is an exercise I have my students do in class this time of year. 
  • Take a sheet of paper and divide it into small painting areas with 1inch tape.
  • Sketch in small quick simple scenes.
  • Make many of them the same type of scene with just a small difference in composition.
  • Keep it loose and simple, kind of like a quick sketch.
  • Use this time as a way of practicing to simplify a scene.
  • don't finish them one at a time, try painting them all with a first wash and then again when you go back for the second wash. Work on all of them so you finish them all together.
  • Cut out each small sketch and use as a greeting card, people will love getting these originals.
The watercolor sketches below are examples of my small sketches.


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Get that special person in your life watercolor workshop gift for the new year. Check out my workshops for next year at:
www.davidrbecker.com

If your organization is looking for a demonstrator, workshop instructor or an exhibition judge
Please contact me at BeckerArt@gmail.com

 
Artist of the Week
 Loraine is a friend that has sent me her amazing handmade Holiday Cards for more years than I can remember, and every year they get better and better. Cards that are handmade like those of Loraine's are treasures for the people that get her cards. I have every card that Loraine has ever sent me because they are so unique and are a work of art.

If you want someone to treasure your greeting cards, make them an original, the card will be treasured for a lifetime.
 
Link of the Week
Do you want gift wrap paper with your paintings on them? This is the place where you can make that happen. So cool and so well worth the price!
 
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Get that artist in your life a special gift like a BeckerArt Watercolor Brush set!

1 1/4" Flat Series 020, #16 Round and a #4 Rigger Holbein Gold, Short Handle, Superior Synthetic Blend Watercolor Brushes. Made to my specifications, which were, The point of the 1 1/4" flat brush and the # 16 round had to come to a razor sharp point, along with a bounce back to straight action when applying watercolor to paper. The # 4 Rigger had to be the perfect length, the perfect thickness, and the perfect point.

Click Here to Purchase​​​​​​​

 
 For any other info please email me at david@davidrbecker.com