Workshops aren't for sissys!

Marker sketch of the mannequin on the right

Last night, I took a workshop at one of my favorite art supply stores, Wet Paint, located on Grand Avenue in St. Paul.  Don Colley was the instructor.  From Chicago, he is the representative for Faber Castell Pitt Markers.  He showed us several of his incredible sketch books and talked about his process of sketching for the first hour.  I was so scared to begin sketching when he gave us several items to choose to sketch.  I sketch totally different than he explained to us!  My friend, Janice Morris, came with me, and we had a ball!  Anyway, this sketch was fixed up by Don Colley, so if you think it's good, it's because he did most of it!  I loved watching him work, and learned so much.  I even bought a small woman mannequin, so I could practice perfecting the drawing process.  He usually starts with a tan or grey paper, and then when he needs a lighter color, he used a white pencil or marker.  I really liked the Faber Castell markers.  Now to practice, practice, practice!!!!

Wire Drawings

 

"Flower Child"  watercolor and markers, 11" x 14",  $145

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  Busy with workshops and travels.  This was my demo for a recent home studio workshop. The students did beautiful paintings and were as excited as I was, when they learned how to do these!  It's again the process of what I call, "wire drawings".  I love the imaginative shapes that this process creates.  It's too hard to explain on paper, so you will have to come to one of my workshops to learn the process.  I'm teaching this process in 2 separate workshops coming up.  One is in Watertown, SD on August 26 and 27th.  Contact Jennifer Stone for info on that one:  jstone@wat.midco.net  The other one is  a 3 day workshop from November 3-5th in White Bear Lake, MN. (this is a northern suburb of Minneapolis)  It's packed with info on wire drawings, charcoal pours, and incorporating both these techniques into abstract paintings!  Contact the White Bear Center for the Arts at 651-407-0597.

 

Day 10- 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"We hold the world in our hands"  11" x 11"  $245 SOLD
Watercolor, permanent marker, and Elegant Writer marker

Yes, I truly believe that each and every one of us makes a difference in our world!  I had this idea of a girl holding the globe in her hands and really enjoyed painting this.  Last year, one of my students (who happens to be a teacher herself in Duluth, MN), Mary Beth Downs taught me how to do "wire drawings".
 At least that's what I call them.  That's because they look like wire to me.  I can't tell you how to do them on this blog; it's actually something that you have to see.  Basically, they are contour drawings with changes afterwards. This will be a process that I will teach in one of my summer workshops if you are interested. (email me to be on the list:  Karen@karenknutson.com )  I use a permanent marker to do the initial sketch picture below.  When I started this, I honestly thought that this would be an easy painting, and picked it, due to babysitting my sick grandson this morning.  But the finishing touches took hours.  I used the Elegant Writer calligraphy pen to make some of the lines thicker and then activated it with a wet brush to cause it to soften a little.  Elegant writer felt markers are water soluble and therefore are really fun to mess around with!  Karlyn Holman introduced me to the Elegant Writer pens years ago, and I love them.  Click on this link to buy them from her store.  One of my heroes is Alphonse Mucha, and I was trying to do this painting in his style.  A lot of doodling, but it was worth it!
 

Value sketch (left) and first drawing using permanent marker (right)