Click links below:

1) Game of Values:  A simple game to help you gauge comparative values

2) Start Sketching People, on the Go:  How to improve portrait drawing and observation when you don’t have much time to spare, in your busy schedule.

3) How to improve your portrait drawing skills: A few tips on how to go about increasing and improving your Portrait drawing skills.

4) A glimpse of how I do my oil painting

 

Making  a Pochade Setup for Watercolor painting

I work horizontally on my watercolor, so this design is very handy and since it is mounted on a tripod, it leaves my hands free and is more relaxing.

The easel surface is a Masonite with two slits cut into it.  The top portion of the masonite has a piece of rectangular cross-section dowel stuck to it (You can get these at most hardware stores, precut).  The bottom rectangular dowel portion slides on two slits that I have cut out in the masonite.  There are two bolts that go through the bottom dowel and have wing-nuts supporting them, on the other side.  The Pallette is held by a clip that holds the palette in place and onto the masonite surface.

I bought the Clamp-On Umbrella from, Bed Bath and Beyond, for only $10.00.  I got it from the store and the clerk was very nice not to charge me any shipping since it was being shipped to their store.  I was a little concerned about the colors on the umbrella affecting the colors on my painting surface but fortunately the colors do not shine through onto the painting surface.  On a windy day the Umbrella could act like a sail so you need to weigh down your tripod.

Also remember to check out your dollar stores and thrifty shops for Clips and clamps and other  knick-knacks.

I am finding it convenient to use 140lbs. watercolor paper block for my painting as it clamps easily between the two long dowels

 

The figure below gives the view from the bottom of the setup in the field.

I drove a T-Nut through a wood block and then glued the wood to the masonite surface using Gorilla Glue.  The Tripod mount screw connects over here.

 

 

 

 

Making a Pochade Box for Oil Painting

Please see my post at this Water Soluble Oil forum for the Pochade Box.  I intend to update this down the road and post the article over here

 

Making a Color Checker

Please see my post at this Water Soluble Oil forum for the color checker.  I intend to update this down the road and post the article over here.