Archive for the '* DS ExtraFine Watercolors' Category

July 21st, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Watercolor Triads
DANIEL SMITH "Sunflower" Triad

DANIEL SMITH "Sunflower" Triad

It’s high summer the sunflowers are bright against the sky, and with the new DANIEL SMITH Sunflower Triad you can also paint them.  Our newest limited edition DS Watercolor Triad has

Hansa Yellow Deep, Permanent Green and Van Dyke Brown, a great combination for “growing” some sunflowers in your paintings.
 
“The DANIEL SMITH Limited Edition “Sunflower” Extra Fine Watercolor Triad
Splash your way into spectacular color with Daniel Smiths new Sunflower Triad—three watercolors selected to capture the whimsical beauty of a favorite flower. With a lion’s mane of bright yellow radiating from a circular face of earth tones and texture, the sunflower is an excellent subject for inspiration. Paint a giant blossom bolstered skyward amid a flutter of green leaves. Our newest triad helps you capture the light and singing color of a bright summer day.”
Sunflower  Hansa Yellow Deep, is among the richest yellows available for artists. This extremely warm yellow brings a ray of sunlight to your work. At full strength the intensity of this pigment is nearly orange, with the addition of water values ranging from an intense yellow to a soft glow are possible. Dapple your watercolor paintings with sunlight with a glaze of Hansa Yellow Deep or add warmth by mixing with other colors.
Sunflower Permanent Green, is a versatile mid-range green perfectly blended for balanced color and smooth, non-granulating working properties. It’s the perfect green to use as a base for the sunflower’s sturdy stalk and a multitude of other outdoor applications. Add warmth to Permanent Green with a glaze of Hansa Yellow Deep or tone this powerful green to a deep forest with Van Dyke Brown. 
Sunflower Van Dyke Brown, completes our summertime set with a down-to-earth brown. Complete your masterpiece with seeds, shadows and soil. Unlike most dark-valued umbers, sepias and grays, Van Dyke Brown is non-staining. This unique property gives you absolute control of your dark values, so bringing light back in to your work is as simple as removing the pigment with a scrub brush or blotting towel.
 
Every Day,  Express Yourself  with  ART….
 
~Deborah Burns
 
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June 29th, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS PrimaTek Watercolors, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Watercolor FREE Demos
Susie Short "WATERCOLOR: Painting Water – Streams/Falls/Reflections" FREE Demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store

Susie Short "WATERCOLOR: Painting Water – Streams/Falls/Reflections" FREE Demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store

Last Saturdays’ FREE Watercolor demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store with Susie Short was jammed packed with lots of “Susie Tips” to an appreciative packed audience of watercolor painters wanting to learn how to “Paint Water – Streams/Falls/Reflections in Watercolor“.

 
The hour long demo (1 of 2) expanded an extra half hour longer to allow Susie to more time to share her tips and answer many questions.  Susie is a practical artist and teacher, so had lots of wonderful watercolor painting information to share.  Several of the questions were about Susie’s choices of watercolor brushes.  Susie likes relatively inexpensive brushes and she gave us many reasons (and showed us) why these brushes work so well for the painting she does: the DANIEL SMITH Platinum Series 23 Synthetic Multi-Media Brushes in round #10 & 12 and script #2, the Aquarelle Flat 3/4 brush and of course the Special “Susie Brush“!  Everyone was amazed at how versatile this brush is and the effects you can get from it and only $10.99, Susie paints most of her painting with this brush, from wetting the Arches 140lb Cold Press Watercolor paper she uses, to painting in her “shapes” and the special effects she gets from using a well worn brush.
 
Susie also shared some of her color mixes in particular her “rocks and tree trunk” formula: DANIEL SMTH Extra Fine Watercolors in Quinacridone Burnt Orange, French Ultramarine Blue and Quinacridone Violet.  Susie showed how beautifully these colors mix and the gorgeous colors that develop with different combinations.  Another color tip was how to make rich darks using DS Indanthrone Blue which is a pure navy.  DANIEL SMITH Indanthrone Blue is Susies substitution for Indigo which she finds dulls darks when mixed with other colors and as Susie says “Indanthrone darkens beautifully.”
 
A few things (of the many, many) that Susie told us during the demo:
 
“I don’t really draw in first, I’m a shape painter….I paint a shape next to a shape, next to a shape.”
“Most PrimaTek granulates beautifully and is great for painting rocks.”
“I like Frabriano [Watercolor Paper for painting] flowers, I just find the Arches to be the best learning paper because it’s the most forgiving.”
“Most of the time I paint wet on wet, and kill the white, or a least most of it, then let it dry the paint wet on dry.”
“Often I paint my reflections first because I’m working wet on to wet, then the object is painted wet on dry and I don’t have to worry about the wet on wet image reflection moving if you painted the subject first.”
 
After the Susie Short Watercolor Demo - The Worktable and Watercolor Paintings, with one photo

After the Susie Short Watercolor Demo - The Worktable and Watercolor Paintings, with one photo

Susie will be doing another of the DANIEL SMITH FREE demos at the Bellevue Store on Saturday, July 18th at 11 am & 1:45 pm on the same watercolor topic: “Painting Water – Streams/Falls/Reflections” so if you missed this one, you have a second chance.

 
Thank you Susie!
 
Every Day, Express Yourself  with ART….
 
~Deborah Burns
 
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/DANIELSMITH_ART
 
Don’t forget, Susie Short has a 3 Day Workshop:
Sunday thru Thursday July 26th, 27th & 28th
WATERCOLOR: Painting Water – Streams/ Falls/Reflections
Understanding the properties of water is essential to painting water! In this 3 day workshop, Susie will show you the many aspects of painting water using transparent colors. Learn how to paint puddles from a recent rain shower, rocks or pebbles in shallow water, and fast moving water cascading over rocks, boulders, and dramatic waterfalls. The class will also review reflections, and how to apply them in your paintings. If you ever wanted to learn how to paint water then you don’t want to miss this exciting workshop!
001 020 059
$75 per day
11 am to 4 pm
susieshort.net

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June 4th, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Video Slide Shows, * Watercolor FREE Demos
Jan Hart at DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store for a FREE watercolor demo. Watercolor: Exceptional Color

Jan Hart at DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store for a FREE watercolor demo. Watercolor: Exceptional Color

Last Sunday’s FREE Art demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMiTH Store with Jan Hart was a wonderful opportunity to listen, watch and learn from a master colorist in watercolor.  Jan Hart is the author of the Watercolor Book: The Watercolor Artist’s Guide to Exceptional Color and also has a selected three watercolor collections: Jan Hart “Artists Series: Amazing Mixes I, II, III of DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors.

 
It was a full house of people looking forward to hearing what Jan had to share, especially since she is not often in the Seattle area.  Jan had been in New Mexico until her move to Costa Rica earlier this year, where she is establishing Workshops in Costa Rica.  Jan will be having a 4 day workshop here at the Seattle Store this coming weekend, Watercolor: Mastering Color and Pigments based on her book. 
 
Back to the FREE demo!  Jan began with outlining how she usually works.  She usually works from a photo or uses several as reference, works out the composition and a value study in a sketchbook using a Prismacolor pencil in black , Jan showed us one of her many sketchbooks in which she keeps the record of all her completed paintings.   
 
After working out what she wants to do, Jan begins her painting on Fabriano Artistico CP 140lbs because she likes “the softness”.  Jan then tints her paper with an under coating of DANIEL SMITH Aureolin watercolor because “it’s the color of sunshine”, she does not usually leave white, and lets it dry.  For paintings at night, Jan uses DANIEL SMITH Cobalt.   Jan shared a tip for mixing a “great green”; DANIEL SMITH Ultramarine Turquoise mixed with DS Quinacridone Sienna.
 
Jan then begins her painting, she told us:
“Lightest, brightest, or scariest first” is how Jan like to start her painting.
“work fast at first – then slooooow way down” as you near completion.” 
“I believe if I think I see a color, it’s THERE – it is.  Artistic License.” 
“I like to hold my brush high [away from the ferrule ] so I don’t have so much control”.  A favorite brush Jan likes and it’s inexpensive is the DANIEL SMITH Series 32 Synthetic Ox Hair Watercolor Brush, Flat 3/4, because it “keeps me out of control.”
“Best thing that can happen in a painting is to lose control.” 
“I like accidents and making mistakes.”
“We play it safe….it’s not ’til we make a mistake and that part of the brain clicks on to solve the problem – that’s when we create.”
“Gestures are really important to paint.”
“I begin to think of the colors as having their own personalities.”
“I do a lot of mixing [ color ] on the paper.”
“I [ only ] paint wet on to wet when the paint is wet – not just wet paper.”
“Process is a really important thing in watercolor.”
“Watercolor is not easy, but it’s always flexible.”
 
Jan completed her painting, at least to the point where she likes to set it aside to think about, then later come back and perhaps do some glazing or whatever the painting needs.  It was an exciting watercolor demonstration….Thank you Jan!
 
Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….
 
Deborah Burns
*********
For more on Jan Hart’s tips on how to create “Amazing Watercolor Mixes” see Jan’s DANIEL SMITH Inksmith article.

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May 20th, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Watercolor Triads
Quaking Aspen Triad: DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor Triad

Quaking Aspen Triad: DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor Triad

Hello Quaking Aspen!  DANIEL SMITH adds a new Extra Fine Watercolor Triad to it’s Limited Edition collection called Quaking Aspen.  This Triad is made up of Raw Umber, Green Gold, and Permanent Yellow Deep …a little grove of color for you to play with!

 
“The DANIEL SMITH Limited Edition “Quaking Aspen” Extra Fine Watercolor Triad
A light breeze weaves through a grove of quaking aspen creating mysterious music and stirring a cascade of gold and green fluttering. At the tips of high branches leaves like gold coins seem to tremble in the light. Dancing limbs and a rustling song are the hallmarks of this beloved tree, the inspiration for Daniel Smith’s new Quaking Aspen Triad.” 
Quaking Aspen  Raw Umber, an earthy deep brown that is a standard color on many artists’ palettes. Its basic brown hue makes it an indispensable watercolor for landscape paintings and shadows. Use Raw Umber to anchor the ethereal leaves of your quaking aspen by creating a strong trunk and limbs. A light wash has subtle granulation and color to give your tree form, use at full strength for the dark gashes and knots characteristic of this trees’ trunk.
Quaking Aspen Green Gold, a light filled green that glows. This jewel-like, completely transparent color is a very warm green that adds a splash of light to plants and landscapes. Brighten up your work by using Green Gold as a glaze over other colors or let the white of your paper shine through for a stunning statement. At full strength, Green Gold is a light olive. In washes or finer applications this smooth, flowing green sings. 
Quaking Aspen Permanent Yellow Deep, a rich and sturdy yellow that never looks washed out or dull. Used at full strength it yields a bright tangerine hue, light washes are a soft peach. A warm and golden tone makes this yellow ideal for the fiery orange-yellows of the fall landscape. Touch the tips of limbs with a dab of brightness for perfectly shimmering leaves

 

 Every Day,  Express Yourself with ART….
 
~Deborah Burns

 

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April 22nd, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Landscapes, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
Kay Barnes "The Painterly Approach" demo at DANIEL SMITH, April 18, 2009

Kay Barnes "The Painterly Approach" demo at DANIEL SMITH, April 18, 2009

Last Saturdays’  FREE demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store was a lively one with Kay Barnes presentation of “The Painterly Approach” to Watercolor painting.  Kay feels that “The Painterly Approach”  is lyrical and musical, it’s “listening to your internal music” when painting.  It is also less about painting from something specific, like a photo, and more about painting from your imagination.

 
Kay told us that about 50% of her paintings are from her imagination, and that everyone should “Pay Attention” to the things you see around you.  “When stuck in traffic [Kay is] never bored, just study the things I see to understand and use later – Pay Attention!”  Kay feels that you are more able to paint in a Painterly Way if you use your imagination.
 
Kay showed us a pre-painting she had done of “Light” and rotated it several times to show us how she might use it for different kinds of paintings, horizontal, vertical, and kept rotating it to horizontal and vertical again.  Then Kay talked about painting tiny sketches of her subject matter, because when you work small it’s easier to work out the essence of the subject.  She likes to do one minuet watercolor studies, and did a couple while she talked to us. 
 
Kay Barnes showing how she makes original watercolor cards from her one minuet watercolor studies and Strathmore Blank Watercolor Cards

Kay Barnes showing how she makes original watercolor cards from her one minuet watercolor studies and Strathmore Blank Watercolor Cards

One of the tips Kay shared was that she likes to make original watercolor cards from her little one minuet paintings.  Kay will cut out the little study, attach it to Strathmore cards and Voila, an easy original watercolor card!  This was extra timely since in the new DANIEL SMITH “Classroom” had Kari Foteff from Strathmore with a free cardmaking “Hands On” event from 12 to 2. 

 
After Kay was finished with her one minuet studies, she took the last 15-20 minuets of the one hour FREE demo to make a full sheet watercolor painting for us. 
 
Kay Barnes painting LIGHT with DANIEL SMITH Quinacridone Gold, Alizarin Crimson, and Cobalt Blue on very wet Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper

Kay Barnes painting LIGHT with DANIEL SMITH Quinacridone Gold, Alizarin Crimson, and Cobalt Blue on very wet Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper

Kay Barnes beginning her "from-imagination" estuary painting on top of her pre-painting of LIGHT

Kay Barnes beginning her "from-imagination" estuary painting on top of her pre-painting of LIGHT

Starting with a full sheet of cold press Arches watercolor paper on gator board (not stapled) she wet her paper, both sides (being wet on both sides is how the paper “sticks” to the gator board – she will staple later when she is done painting and the paint needs to dry).  Then, using large (3 inch) watercolor brushes, Kay began to paint LIGHT with DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in Quinacridone Gold, then a little Alizarin Crimson and finally Cobalt Blue.  The colors melted into one another as Kay tilted the board this way and that until she had an ethereal light in watercolor glowing on the paper. 

 
Kay Barnes Estuary watercolor painting in mid-process

Kay Barnes Estuary watercolor painting in mid-process

Kay Barnes almost completed Estuary watercolor painting

Kay Barnes almost completed Estuary watercolor painting

Kay then began painting her landscape on the pre-painting she just did of LIGHT by telling us it’s “all about light and shape”.  She began adding “really strong darks” to what would eventually become a painting of an estuary shrouded in the ethereal light of early morning.  When Kay says, “I’m going to use a really strong dark – I go to my blues to make them.”  Kay wowed the group by making her subject come alive in the watercolor paint in the few remaining minuets of the FREE demo…it was amazing to see!

 
Thank you Kay!
 
 
Every Day,  Express Yourself with ART….
 
~Deborah Burns

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March 24th, 2009 categories: category, * DS Extra Fine Watercolor Sticks, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS PrimaTek Watercolors, * New Products, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Special "Hands On" Events, * Watercolor FREE Demos
DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store - The Store for Artists'

DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store - The Store for Artists'

This weekends’ FREE demos at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store are all about two very different kinds of DANIEL SMITH ExtraFine Watercolors . 

 
Saturday, March 28th, has Butch Krieger at 11am and 1:45pm for 1 hour FREE demos using DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Watercolors to create warm flesh tones in watercolor.
 
Sunday, March 29th, is with Annie Van Engelen from 12 to 2pm introducing our new DANIEL SMITH ExtraFine Watercolor Sticks !  The 2 hour Special “Hands On” Event will have Annie demonstrating some of the cool things you can do with the Watercolor Sticks….  Then You get to get Your “Hands On” them and play with the Watercolor Sticks yourself!  Come and have some fun this Sunday.
 
Every Day,  Express Yourself with ART….
 
~Deborah Burns

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March 23rd, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
Katherine Wright Demonstration at DANIEL SMITH WATERCOLOR: Structures, Space, & Shadows

Katherine Wright Demonstration at DANIEL SMITH WATERCOLOR: Structures, Space, & Shadows

Last Saturday’s FREE demo at the DANIEL SMITH  Seattle Store had Katherine Wright sharing her insights into creating space in her watercolor paintings with structures and shadows.

 
Katherine began the demo talking about the effects of light falling on structures (both natural and man made) and how shadows from those structures create a sense of space.  Katherine said that it is important to learn that; ” Understanding what light is so we can understand it as Artists.”  This is an important topic to Katherine and she spent some time talking about it, which since she shared a fair amount of technical information and observations I will not write more on the topic as it would make this post very long!
 
Katherine briefly outlined how she works starting with her sketches, which she said; “I work a lot from my sketches, [and] sometimes I like my sketches better!”  She works out the numbers to enlarge her sketch to the size that she will be working with on watercolor paper, then uses graphite transfer paper to transfer the image.  Here is a tip for you:  Katherine likes to re-use the image on the transfer paper (she will do it multiple times) for another painting, she will make different decisions, color choices etc. and ultimately have a very different painting.
 
Katherine Wright demonstrating watercolor painting

Katherine Wright demonstrating watercolor painting

The paper Katherine prefers to paint on is Arches 300lb hot press watercolor paper , because she said she is: “lazy and does not like stretching watercolor paper”, although she does sometimes use the cold press too.  To begin painting, Katherine prefers LARGE brushes, the larger the better!  One of her favorites is a size 40 round DANIEL SMITH watercolor brush that is no longer manufactured.  I thought her preference for larger brushes was very interesting since her background is architecture (check out her architectural illustrations ).   I asked her about it after the demo, and she said she really likes the gestural freedom of the larger brushes for her watercolor paintings.  Later she will add details into the painting with smaller brushes.  Starting with her large flat brush, Katherine told us that, “flat brushes can really get you a long way”, she began working on her painting of some buildings on a hillside in Italy (she lived in Puglia for 3 years) with her watercolors. 

 
Katherine Wright answering a question at her watercolor painting demonstration

Katherine Wright answering a question at her watercolor painting demonstration

Katherine begins by expressively working on her “under-painting” which she calls “a mess” (!) using the large flat brush, then she lets the colors dry a bit and goes back in and “intensifies it” with stronger color.  Later she will begin to add details with a fine brush, but not too much.  Katherine encouraged many questions during the demo and happily answered them although, it did mean that the demo ran over 15 minuets, so she was not able to finish some of the detail work she would have liked! 

Some of the other helpful tips that Katherine shared with us was that she does not use black, but rather prefers to “make interesting darks” by combining colors like DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in French Ultramarine , Burnt Umber , and Quinacridone Magenta to make “interesting darks”.  Also how important it is to really know your watercolor paints and their qualities.  Katherine gave us an example of how, when she first began working in watercolor, she did not realize why when mixing Alizarin Crimson with Naples Yellow , she lost her luminous transparency.  Later, once she learned more about her watercolors, she found out that Naples Yellow has Zinc White in it, and Zinc White is one of the more opaque colors. 
 
To learn more about  watercolor painting  from Katherine, she is teaching a Workshop: “Putting perspective in your work!”   April 12, 2009 at the Kirkland Woman’s Club, please contact Katherine via her website for more. 
 
Thank you Katherine!
 
 
Every Day,  Express Yourself with ART….
 
~Deborah Burns

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January 12th, 2009 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
Deborah Stachowic demonstrating how she paints "Dramatic Reds" using DANIEL SMITH Watercolors

Deborah Stachowic demonstrating how she paints "Dramatic Reds" using DANIEL SMITH Watercolors

 Deborah Stachowic at last Saturday’s FREE demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store showed everyone attending how she gets her “Dramatic Reds” on her large watercolor paintings.  When you visit her website, you can see, especially her “Red Tea Leaves #2 “ great examples of what she was showing us at the demo.

 
Deborah paints in what she calls “layering” to build up rich, deep colors.  She lets the watercolor paint dry in between layers, then re-wets the area, and lays down more color with her brush.  This layering gives a lot of depth to the surface of her watercolor painting.
 
When applying the watercolor paint, Deborah uses a very large, round, soft watercolor brush (she especially likes the DANIEL SMITH Black Gold Watercolor brushes ) and told us that she “lightly” (!!!) applies each layer.  Don’t use flat brushes or heavy brushwork or you will have to remove color.  Deborah told us to make sure the paint on your brush is a little dryer than the surface of your painting or you will get “blooms” in the area you touch your brush to.  Other tools she likes to use are the Soft White Color Shapers.  
 
A TIP  from Deborah when painting in watercolor, use a roll of toilet paper to “blot up” excess watercolor on your painting.  The edge of the roll has a sharp edge and you can blot in a clean line.  Be sure and remove those sheets that blotted the excess watercolor after every blotting session, or you will lose your edge as the watercolor continues to spread or bleed.
 
Deborah also shared with us one of her favorite watercolor paint mixtures to get a rich black.  It’s her workhorse color: DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in Prussian Blue, New Gamboge , and Alizarin Crimson are mixed to create deep, rich blacks.  Deborah also likes to use a little bit of Prussian Blue to darken her reds. 
 
Because Deborah prefers to work large, she uses full sheets (22×30 in.) of 140lb. cold press watercolor, either the Lanaqarelle or the Arches.  She soaks them in the tub to get the paper wet then stretches the paper using a water soluble glue (like Elmers’) and runs a bead all the way around with her finger onto her gatorboard.
 
Deborah often does demos at both the Seattle and Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Stores, so check the FREE demo schedule to find out when. 
 
Thank you Deborah!
 
 
Every Day,   Express Yourself  with  ART….
 
~Deborah Burns

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July 25th, 2008 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Watercolor Triads
DANIEL SMITH has a new Limited Edition Watercolor Triad called “Firenze” which features the colors Permanent Yellow Deep , Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet , and Verditer Blue.
This new DANIEL SMITH Triad are DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors chosen by Watercolor Artist Brenda Swenson.   Brenda chose these colors because:
“When working with a limited palette I look for colors
that “feel” like my subject matter.
All 3 of these colors have low staining qualities that I like
and mix wonderfully to create new colors.
The city scene of Florence is warm and bright so
I wanted to have a warm dominance of temperature.
The wonderful granulation of Verditer Blue added texture
to the shadows and glazed beautifully,
even for a semi-transparent color”
So, if you are dreaming of traveling to Italy, have a desire to paint Mediterranean landscapes…. or are lucky enough to actually be traveling to the region and hope to do some Plein Aire painting….well, this might be the DANIEL SMITH Triad for you!
*****
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Originally published July 25, 2008

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July 9th, 2008 categories: category, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Watercolor Triads, * Landscapes, * Plein Aire Painting, * Watercolor Painting

DANIEL SMITHS’ Newest Triad…

Recently DANIEL SMITH added a new Watercolor Triad just in time for Summer Watercolor Painting! It’s the Sand & Surf Triad colors chosen by Watercolor Artist Susie Short . It’s official name is: “DANIEL SMITH: Limited Edition Watercolor Triad, Susie Short’s Sand & Surf”.

If you are planning on going to the beach this summer to do some Plein Aire Painting, then you may want to bring this Triad along with you! Either take the Sand & Surf Triad itself, or add one or two of the colors to your collection if you already have either the DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in Indanthrone Blue , Ultramarine Turquoise, or the Goethite, Brown Ochre, and complete your own Triad!

Susie recently did a FREE demo at the Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store using mostly this Sand & Surf Triad (click HERE to see) and will be doing another FREE “Sea and Shore” demo this weekend at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store on Saturday, July 12th at 11am and 1:45pm.

 

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Originally published July 9, 2008

http://danielsmithart.blogspot.com/2008/07/daniel-smiths-newest-watercolor-triad.html

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June 23rd, 2008 categories: category, * Bellevue DS Store, * Bellevue FREE Demos, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Watercolor Triads, * Landscapes, * Watercolor, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
Saturday, June 21 FREE Demo at the
Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store
Watercolor Painting: “Sea & Shore”
With Susie Short
****
Watercolor Artist Susie Short was at the DANIEL SMITH  Store in Bellevue last Saturday for one of the weekly FREE DANIEL SMITH demonstrations . Susie’s theme for the the watercolor painting demo was “Sea and Shore” to give some insight and techniques on painting the shore for the 11am demo, and the second demo at 1:45 was tips on painting waves crashing onto the shore.

Susie shared lots and lots of insights, with her amazing observations on shore landscapes and tips on how to paint them in watercolor . She showed the packed room full of watercolor enthusiasts “feathering” to get the strong horizontals of the shoreline and parallel surf, how she makes the foaming surf and spray pop from the paper, achieves the translucent effects of the waves and water as it covers the sand and rocks…and so much more! For an hour demo there was a lot of great stuff!

Working mostly with her new DANIEL SMITH Sand and Surf Watercolor Triad: Indanthrone Blue , Ultramarine Turquoise , and Goethite (Brown Ochre) Susie demonstrated the watercolor painting effects she was showing the audience…really amazing! Susie also used just a touch of DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolor, Green Gold for the light glowing through the wave just before it crashes.

***

Susie also had a painting on display that she did just a few days before when she was at the beach, it was an incredible shore landscape with dark rocks that she did with the new Sand and Surf Triad, and a touch of Quinacridone Burnt Orange which when mixed with the other three colors produced the most amazing deep, rich dark for the back-lighted rocks. This painting was the one she recreated for the 11am FREE demo.

When Susie was talking about how to paint the waves, she shared her excellent observations on how the light effects the water and how to create those effects with watercolor painting. It was also fun to watch and learn because Susie became very animated waving her hands and arms to act out the action of the wave…complete with sound effects! Susie is a very inspiring watercolor painting instructor, so be sure to come to her next DANIEL SMITH FREE Demo at the Seattle store : Saturday, July 12th at 11am and 1:45pm to see for yourself. Thank you Susie!

Susie Short also many watercolor workshops and watercolor painting videos and DVDs too! The next DANIEL SMITH Workshop is:

Sunday & Monday July 27th and 28th.
WATERCOLOR: Sea and Shore
$75 per day
11 AM to 4:00 PM
001 020 059
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Originally published on June 23, 2008

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May 30th, 2008 categories: category, * DANIEL SMITH Manufacturing, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Original Oils, * DS PrimaTek Watercolors, * DS Printmaking Inks, * DS Ultimate Acrylics, * Seattle DS Store
Dave showing members of the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) where on the map Purpurite Genuine comes from

Dave showing members of the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) where on the map Purpurite Genuine comes from

Last Wednesday, 13 board members of the Northwest Watercolor Society visited the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store to tour the on-site manufacturing facilities where the DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors are made. The same manufacturing facilities are also where the DANIEL SMITH Original Oil Paint , DANIEL SMITH Ultimate Acrylic Paint , and DANIEL SMITH Printmaking Inks are made.

 

The tour was in four parts:

Since this was a VIP tour, it began with KT, Manager of the Bellevue DANIEL SMITH Store introducing John Cogley, owner of DANIEL SMITH, to the NWWS board-members. The group met at the front of the store where the video of “How Paint is Made – The DANIEL SMITH Way!” plays in the foyer of the Seattle Store. John talked to the NWWS group about what was happening on the video by explaining some of the processes, sharing stories and answering questions. It was really interesting to find out a few new things I had not previously learned before since John is very involved in the entire process beginning with being active in finding new minerals for DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Paints .
 
David Pruneda, who works in the Seattle Store, took over for the next part of the tour by leading the group through the store to the room where the weekend FREE demos are held, it’s also used as a Gallery. The group took seats to listen to David talk about the minerals used for making DANIEL SMITH PrimaTek Colors by showing and passing around some of the corresponding minerals such as Azurite Genuine . There were “rocks”, and jars of powered minerals and examples of PrimaTek watercolors painted out on watercolor paper. There was also a map on display showing where some of the minerals come from…literally all over the world!
 
The next part of the tour was conducted by Ron Harmon, the long time DANIEL SMITH Chemist, who took us back into the manufacturing room. There Ron showed us the the 5 large to huge mixers that the pigments are mixed with the various liquids. Watercolor with Gum Arabic and water, Acrylic with acrylic emulsion, Oil with either safflower or linseed oil, and Lithographic ink with litho varnish. Next, are the various three roll mills that “take the pigment particles and tear them down” to transform the mixes into DANIEL SMITH paints and inks. While we were there, one of the mills was being used to refine DANIEL SMITH Quinacridone Gold Watercolor , so it was extra cool for the NWWS group to see. Lastly Ron lead the group over to see the two filling machines, one for watercolors and the other for acrylics, where the tubes of paint are filled. The inks are actually too thick for the fillers and the cans are hand filled beside the mills. Here is a trivia question for you…how are the labels applied to the tubes? Answer: by hand! Bonus answer: by Ron’s daughter’s hand!
 

Next, David lead the group back to the demo room to answer more questions…there is always so much to learn!

At the end of the tour, most of the group were amazed that while they “knew” that DANIEL SMITH manufactures its’ name brand paints and inks, they had not realized that the DANIEL SMITH Watercolors , Acrylics and Oil Paints and the Printmaking inks are actually made in the same building as the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store.
 
Next time you are visiting the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Store to pick up more art supplies, just remember that a couple of walls over on the south side, is where the magic of COLOR for your paintings is made!
 
The tours are now resuming after a long hiatus, and DANIEL SMITH Manufacturing Tours are available by appointment for groups of up to 20.
 

Boardmembers of the Northwest Watercolor Society, thank you for coming, we were happy to see you, and show you how our DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors are made! 

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Originally published May 30, 2008

http://danielsmithart.blogspot.com/2008/05/northwest-watercolor-societys-tour-to.html

Updated August 10, 2009:

Here is the link for the DANIEL SMITH Video: “The Art of Making Paint”

YouTube Preview Image

Every Day,  Express Yourself  with  ART….
 
~Deborah Burns
 
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Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »
May 14th, 2008 categories: category, * Bellevue DS Store, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Sponsored Events, * Galleries & Studios, * Studio Tours
Mother’s Day Weekend was also the Fifth Annual Kirkland Artist Studio Tour and I came with John Cogley, owner of DANIEL SMITH Artists’ Materials, to visit the studios on the tour. We were able to visit the studios of Ann Fiser and Robert Fiser, Elizabeth Kincaid, Chris Sharp and Layla Jacobson before fatigue from the Camano Island Studio Tour the day before set in and cut short our itinerary for the day.

While at the Studio of Ann and Robert Fiser , Ann showed us a unique way she has of keeping her watercolor paint examples. Ann paints the watercolor on watercolor paper she has cut out approximately 1.5 by 6 inches from full color strength to 50% to a wash, labels it, punches a hole at the top and keeps it on a ring in much the same way as an interior designer would with paint samples. The advantage is that when she adds a new color to her collection Ann can easily slip it into place. Really a cool idea!

Elizabeth Kincaid had a very unique way of organizing her workspace and palette, she uses an entire butcher tray for each watercolor and each tray rests on plastic paper organizers, four high, that you buy at office supply stores! This way her colors don’t get corrupted as she feels they do on a smaller palette. We also got to take a peek at a work in progress that is a real labor of love for Elizabeth, her extraordinarily complex “Tree of Life” watercolor painting.

Trying to make the rounds to both the Camano Island Studio Tour and the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour in a single weekend began to wear on us, so we decided to shorten the tour that KT (Manager of the DANIEL SMITH Bellevue Store) had planned for us.

Our last two stops were a group exhibit at Sharp Studio where we chatted a bit with Chris Sharp, and then moved on to the Petranella Fursman Studio to see Layla Jacobson and Petra Fursman and their paintings.

When visiting each of the studios, John brought some DANIEL SMITH Art Supply goodies to give to the artists we visited, in the form of a fist full of tubes of DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors!
Every Day,  Express yourself with ART!
~Deborah Burns
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Originally published May 14, 2008

Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »
May 1st, 2008 categories: category, * Bellevue DS Store, * Bellevue FREE Demos, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Watercolor, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
***
Saturday May 3rd from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
WATERCOLOR: Showers & Flowers with
Annie Van Engelen
SPECIAL HANDS-ON EVENT with
[ You get to paint too! ]
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Originally published May 1, 2008

Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »
April 22nd, 2008 categories: category, * DANIEL SMITH Catalog, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * Seattle DS Store, * Seattle FREE Demos, * Travel Sketching & Journals, * Watercolor, * Watercolor FREE Demos, * Watercolor Painting
Watercolor Artist Tom Hoffmann participated in a FREE Watercolor Demonstration last Saturday, April 19, at our DANIEL SMITH Seattle Store.

Tom talked about his painting philosophy, his creative process, shared with us some of his watercolor “sketches” from his travels in Mexico and painted a watercolor street scene from one of the sketches. It was especially interesting to listen to Tom talk about watercolor painting because one of his street scene paintings is on the cover of our new DANIEL SMITH Summer Sale Catalog.

Some of Toms’ tips for the attendees were that for him it’s about “what not to paint” that painting is a process of editing out everything but the essential visual keys. He later added that he “prefers to leave something for me [the viewer] to add to the piece”.

He also described it as kind of like a horizontal “graph” or timeline….

Photo (too much info) <—-> An artists balancing (”how little can you do and still tell the story”) <—-> sketch (too little info)

Tom shared with us how he mixes really rich, “not murky” darks (shadows) in his paintings by mixing DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in Phalo Blue, Quinacridone Red and Quinacridone Gold. In the new DANIEL SMITH Summer Sale Catalog on page 3, Tom talks more about this and other watercolor tips that he has found, definitly worth reading!

The audience was very attentive watching the painting come alive under Toms’ brush and watercolor, it was really amazing to watch it happen.

A couple of other things Tom said that I noted down because I thought they were interesting and motivational were: “The role of the pencil is to allow me to confidently put the paint down”. Darks are the “narrative content, and the forms that are worth looking at”. “I like gorgeous paint more than anything else”. And lastly, “I want people to say: ‘Hell, I can do that!’”

Tom Hoffmann is an instructor atthe Gage Academy of Art and will be offering workshops later this year through DANIEL SMITH, more information to be posted later. The workshops will be an excellent opportunity to learn from a very good instructor.

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Originally published April 22, 2008

Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »
April 21st, 2008 categories: category, * DANIEL SMITH Catalog, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Original Oils, * New Products

The new DANIEL SMITH Summer Sale Catalog has been mailed out and you should be receiving it very soon if you haven’t already gotten it. To be ready for your questions about new products in this catalog, we had training sessions last week for the DANIEL SMITH Call Center and DANIEL SMITH Store sales people. Our trainers, Thom Wright and artist Jennifer Phillips did a great job filling everyone in on the benefits of the new products so we could pass them on to you, and pointed out the terrific values of the items that are now ON SALE for you!

There are a couple of new DANIEL SMITH Paints being introduced in this catalog. Two new DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors: Smalt Genuine and Perylene Violet (everyone attending got tubes to play with!) a very beautiful blue and a juicy reddish violet on page 3. Also, a new DANIEL SMITH Original Oil Paint: Cadmium Red Medium Hue ” offers an “alternative to classic Cadmium Red. It’s a vibrant, strong primary red…an organic color, it has high chroma and strong opacity”, on page 23.

A couple of other things that caught my eye during the training session I attended. The first was the new Atria Stainless Steel Brush Washers in three sizes on page 59, they are airtight to prevent odors and spills. The other was the new A-Frame Studio Easel on page 95. which has a wood tray to brace the legs and provides some storage, and tilts both forward and back.

If you have not received a catalog and would like one, click here to request a DANIEL SMITH Summer Sale Catalog …we are now ready for You! 

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Originally published April 21, 2008

 

http://danielsmithart.blogspot.com/2008/04/training-for-our-new-daniel-smith.html

Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »
March 19th, 2008 categories: category, * Bellevue DS Store, * Bellevue FREE Demos, * DANIEL SMITH Blog, * DANIEL SMITH Catalog, * DANIEL SMITH Manufacturing, * DS ExtraFine Watercolors, * DS Original Oils, * DS Ultimate Acrylics, * Seattle DS Store, * Seattle FREE Demos

Art…here at DANIEL SMITH… we are all about helping You to express the creative, artistic side of You.  Our blog will be an evolving place to share information, and creating conversations with You.  I will be exploring lots of different topics on subjects that I find interesting about making art, DANIEL SMITH and our products, especially the ones we develop and manufacture, as well as subjects and questions You may have.  

To begin our journey, we’ll start at the  DANIEL SMITH Seattle store where the DANIEL SMITH corporate offices are as well.  

This is also the location of the Call Center, where telephone catalog orders are taken, and where DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors , DANIEL SMITH Ultimate Acrylics ,  DANIEL SMITH Original Oils , and DANIEL SMITH Inks and Printmaking Supplies are Manufactured .  

We also have our  DANIEL SMITH Bellevue Store , where I will also be visiting as well.  The Warehouse where all your orders are full-filled, is in another location nearby.  I will be visiting these places in the future to let you in on what’s happening, and how it all works.  

There are also many FREE demonstrations as well as workshops at both stores.  I will be attending some of them, and sharing some of the tips that the Artists share in their demonstrations.  This is a place to learn, and I will be learning right along side of You the things about making Art that I have myself have not done (yet!).  I studied painting and lithography in school, so there is much for me to learn about watercolor, acrylic, and other mediums as well. We will be on a journey together!

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Originally published March 19, 2008

http://danielsmithart.blogspot.com/2008/03/welcome-to-daniel-smith-blog.html

Written by Deborah Burns | Discussion: No Comments »

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