Traveling Art Projects
Gettin’ Artsy With Elida
“Traveling Art Projects”
It’s summer time! Many of you are traveling or preparing for vacations. I travel quite a bit, sometimes with the kids, and sometimes leading other adults in my Art-Women-Wine tours to Italy and abroad. One thing that I’ve learned is that even the most uninterested or non artsy types can have fun creating if you have simple supplies that are readily available.
Watch the video here:
Make sure you comment below to be entered to win one of the pieces featured on this segment of AM Northwest!
Art Journal Drawings & Paintings.
Black Chiseled Tip Sharpie
Canson Mixed Media 7”x10” Pad
Koi Water Color set with watercolor brush (Sketcher’s Pocket Box)
For this particular drawing we are going to go step by step in making the Duomo in Florence, Italy. Use your sharpie to draw the landmark or scene and then come back in with your watercolor paints to create the dramatic color contrast. If you think of your sharpie more like a brush…that’s helpful. Less is more and just drawing a few lines can really make the painting. Once you’ve drawn out your subject with a sharpie (it can be anything from a lamppost to a building or scene with people), next you’ll go in with your watercolors to create the wash.
To create a watercolor wash-
~Use your brush with water first and just drop the water into each individual tray of watercolor. Allow the water to soak into the colors so that they can be easily used.
~Next you’ll want to just wash with water the areas you’d like to drop the paints into. So if you’d like the sky, just fill in the area with water and then lightly dip your brush into the blue and then drop it into different areas of the sky and allow the water to move it around and spread.
~Continue blocking in with water the areas you’d like to add color and remember less is more with watercolors.
~To leave an area highlighted or light, simply just avoid putting water on that spot so that this area is left light and the paper shows through.
~Lastly, make sure you write the name of the location or landmark that you painted and keep track of the date either at the beginning of your journal or on the page itself.
~It looks very cool to have a notebook filled with both journal writings, drawings and paintings and remember that it’s not how “good” your drawings or paintings are, but more about the experience and observation of being there in the moment!
Buon Viaggio!
Elida’s Favorite Travel Art Sets
I have a few key items that I always pack so that if the opportunity arises I’m ready to paint, draw, or journal! I’ve listed the items in order of importance in making up my “Perfect 10” for artsy traveling! I’ve also listed pricing and places where I like to shop.
Elida’s “Perfect 10”
~Black Chiseled Tip Sharpie~ $1.99
~Canson Mixed Media 9”x12” Pad~$8.95 (This Pad rocks! Draw, paint, glue, you name it...this baby can hold it! Easy tear out pages too!)
~Cotman Water Colors (Sketcher’s Pocket Box) $15.95 or Zoi Watercolors (This little set is quite impressive. It has its own brush and the lid also serves as a tray for water. The colors are intense and quality is good.)These were the three items used in the lesson today!
~The Abrazzo Bag...medium size $35 (several colors, hand woven in Mexico)
~Art Journal~ $12.95 (any size, I like the moleskins or a fun artsy one like Rachel Austin’s “Here to There” journal!)
~Strathmore Watercolor Postcards- $5.95 (You get 15 in a pack and they are nice and small. The paper is 140lbs which is a strong quality. Who wouldn’t like to get a hand painted card in the mail?)
~Canson Paper Disposable Palette 9”x12”~ $6.99 (If you decide to venture into acrylics or oils....you need a disposable pad. Who wants to clean anyway?)
~Elida’s Fab Five Acrylic Paints & Brushes ~$9.50 per tube...$3-$5/per brush
~Alizarin Crimson, Pthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow & White (doesn’t count as a color) You can always buy a smaller set, but make sure you get the right colors and bring along a copy of my mixing chart! Also, if you can only buy three brushes...get a 1/2” angled brush, 1” flat, and a size 3 for the small round tip brush.
~Fredrick's Canvas Pad 12”x16” ~ $12.95 (This gives you 10 sheets to paint on and they are easy to mount on wood, frame etc. when you get home!)
~Heritage Travel Easel~ $40 (This little easel is light just 2lbs, easy to assemble, and sturdy! Even with the wind along the Amalfi coast, it stood strong.)
Always indulge in buying a magazine or two along the way! I love getting different kinds of fashion, art, and decor magazines from different countries. Even though I can’t really read the magazine (still working on my Italian), it offers me inspiration and ideas that are different from what I normally see.
Remember that life is an adventure, so take a chance and be creative!
