Spending lots of time with Cinnamon Cooney lately; many hours of video. Been having blending issues with thirsty paper, so tested a few prep methods.
- Sketchbook with 3 layers of white acrylic craft paint was an epic fail. Still too thirsty to blend well and buckled like mad when I applied the background wash, which also skitched like crazy and didn’t blend well. As much as I love my NerdForge sketchbook, thinking it needs to stick with pencil and ink, maybe some markers.
- 140 lb soft press watercolor block with a layer of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish, followed by three coats of gesso. It buckled the least, but was still too thirsty to blend well.
- 140 lb soft press water color paper taped to chip board backing seems like the best bet. The size fits the projects for the course tutorials and the prep was the same as the water color block. It did buckle when I pre-wet the back, but next time I will stretch it better.
I have GAC100 arriving today to test sealing paper, along with a hog’s bristle bright brush pack, I grabbed a flat, rather than a bright when testing brush stokes. I definitely like the texture brushes a lot. I need more practices on the tear stroke. Maybe I’ll use the blue background to practice some daisies or something. I think I’m going to prep another block for the cat tutorial and order some acrylic paper to test as well.
I also learned that masking fluid is designed for canvas and destructive to all paper under 200lb, so pretty much card stock and minis only. Likewise contractor grade masking tape. At least now I know.
The Art Sherpa, Beginners Acrylic Painting Course
Had better luck with the background after dinner. Maybe the paint was drier. Maybe I finally got enough coats down to blend. Maybe it was switching to the hog’s bristle bright. Maybe I was just hangry. More data required.
The heart is upside down when the sketchbook is in the standard position – need to pay more attention to the composition. I gave the goofy one different sized eyes in honor of the monster bibs. I wasn’t crazy about sad kitty’s coloring the first time around. I ended up covering with gesso and then repainting white and trying again. Overall was a fun little project.
Two Funny Cats by The Art Sherpa
Mic drop at 1:40.