Step-By-Step Painting Demo

This is a set of images of my painting The Old Guard, #54 posted last week on my Weekly Watercolor website.  This watercolor painting is small - only 7.5 x 11".

I started with a very simple drawing.  The next step was to paint the sky and the first wash on the water.  When this was dry, I added the distant landscape and the boat on the horizon.  Next, I painted the major shapes of the main boats, and put another wash on the water to deepen its value.  I brushed in the boat reflections while the water wash was still wet.  Finally, I added the details of the rigging.

I hope you have found this interesting, whether you're a painter yourself or an art collector.  If you would like to join me to paint, my next watercolor workshop is scheduled for June in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.  Go to www.jimoberst.com to learn more.

Weekly Watercolor Update

It's been about two and a half months since I began my weekly watercolor project - adding an additional small watercolor painting to my weekly painting activities - and so far, I've been faithful. In fact, I'm a few paintings ahead, having just posted #13, Backyard Barn.

As you may know, I am offering these paintings on my Weekly Watercolor website for only $100 each, including shipping within the United States, so art lovers will have access to a large selection of my original art at a very affordable price. Most of these paintings will be 7-1/2" x 11", suitable for a 12" x 16" or 14" x 18" frame. These gems are large enough to enjoy, and small enough to be hung almost anywhere. If you haven't visited the site lately, please do so - there will always be new paintings to see. You can also sign up for automatic updates on the website About page, or on my supporting Weekly Watercolor Blog.

I'm excited about this project, and I hope you enjoy watching as a
new painting is added each week. If you would like to follow my art
activities on Facebook, you can do so by clicking on this link and
becoming a fan of my art page.

Yet Another Demo

This seems to be the season of demos for me. Last Thursday, Barb Seibel invited me to do a 2-hour painting demo for her Brush Strokes-sponsored beginner watercolor class. I decided to paint a half-sheet Sound of Silence, which I have painted before. I enjoyed both the painting and the discussion of technique and design principles related to the painting. And the painting (attached) turned out pretty well, which does not always happen with demos.

I've also done a small version of this painting that I plan to offer as part of my Weekly Watercolor project.

Weekly Watercolor Website Launched

My new website, Weekly Watercolor by Jim Oberst at www.weeklywatercolor.com, is now active. It consists of three main pages: the Gallery, which is also the home page, showing all project paintings to date; the Order page, with ordering instructions, and the About page, with information about me and this project. Please visit my new site often. You can sign up for weekly or monthly email updates about my new paintings by clicking links on the Gallery page. It's not quite 2010, but I've decided to jump-start this project now with my first painting, rather than waiting for January 1.

The first painting posted, Early Snow, accompanies this post. It is based on a previous larger painting which was inspired by the many beautiful lake scenes in Arkansas. The snow-covered mountains are my own invention, and are not characteristic of Arkansas, which has gently rolling hills. I'm particularly drawn to the reflections in the water, the color in the trees, and the painting's fresh and spontaneous feel.

I will not be posting all of my weekly watercolor paintings here, but if you subscribe to my new blog www.weeklywatercolor.blogspot.com you will be notified as each new painting is posted.