Abstract watercolor paintings

When I'm tired of sketching and painting detailed botanicals or when I'm feeling stumped, I turn to abstract watercolor. It's a great way to loosen up and to get rid of limiting rules and expectations. I may use a sheet of watercolor or mixed media paper or paint away in my sketchbooks. Here's one from 2024:

I used the Gansai Tambi paints by Kuretake and the Strathmore Visual Journal for Mixed Media. I sealed this painting with Mod Podge gloss just to see how it's going to look like when finished. I totally loved it. 

By the way, I've curated my favorite mixed media sketchbooks for art journaling. 

New palette: Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 14-color portable set

It's been almost a year since my last post. And all the while I thought I wrote something here early this year. I guess I posted it on Instagram. (Too much soc med, yes.) Anyway, maybe I'll just share with you my surprising discovery of a new palette called Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 14-color portable set. 

A few weeks ago, I finally decided to order a graphite tint watercolor set made by Zig Kuretake. I'd been eyeing this set for a long time but often had to postpone the purchase because I've way too many supplies already and I didn't have a clear idea then how I would use that set. Years later and seemingly out of the blue, I placed the order through Lazada. I made sure to buy from the official Zig distributor here in the Philippines. 

Item was shipped immediately and was delivered in a few days. So, I was so excited and eager and all ONLY to find out that I'd been sent the wrong product. This is what I got instead: Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 14-color portable set

Funny how I felt disappointed and happy at the same time. I had great plans for the graphite tint set and was itching to use them to add shade to my figure drawings. And then, this cute Japanesque palette came, and I felt like opening the thing and painting with it already. I mean, it's a Kuretake Gansai Tambi set, yah know. I have the bigger gansai tambi sets and I am in love with them. 

But, I didn't open THIS box.

Instead, I sent a photo of it to the seller and informed them about the mistake. I did get an instant reply... from a BOT, however. So, I sent another message. And I got a reply again, in Filipino, from a BOT. I sent another message saying that I'll just opt for a Return/Refund. Just to be fair. Since I know that this set costs twice the price of the set that I actually ordered. Ayaw naman nating malugi si seller, di ba?

The days came and went. Still no authentic reply from the seller. Lazada finally issued a refund after like 3 or 4 days. I waited 2 more days before opening the box, hoping that someone would pick it up and replace it. But no one came. 

So.... I finally opened the box with a big smile. I was unsure about how I might use the beige and the gray. Surprisingly, when I painted this red-breasted robin, those neutrals along with white and black turned out to be indispensable. I used my own synthetic sable brush and painted on a small sketchbook with 100% cotton paper. I was so happy with how this little birdie turned out. 

I made another small painting on the same sketchbook. I wanted to see how I could mix the colors to create a landscape. Once again, the neutrals helped me mute or add some colors. I was also surprised to see that I made various shades of green using this gansai tambi pocket set. True enough, you don't need much to be able to paint nature. I'll be using these watercolors for a few more small paintings while the other travel palettes can rest for a while. 

I find the palette good enough for simple nature sketches, still life paintings, and crafting projects. I must also mention that the plastic casing is hard and sturdy. I don't know the chemical engineering behind it, but I seem to prefer it over the plastic casing of Cotman, Daler & Rowney and other pocket sets from known brands. This set has a lot of mixing compartments too. And that's definitely a huge advantage especially if you're sketching outdoors. 

If you are curious about this set and would want to try it yourself, you can order through Lazada or Shopee or inquire at a brick-and-mortar art supplies shop in your own locale. 

You can also buy this set from Amazon for less than $30: 

Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 14-color portable set

Portrait of a Poppy Seed Pod in Carbon and Graphite Pencils

It seems that I'll be enjoying my pencils in the weeks and months to come. Here is a small portrait of a dried poppy seed pod done in carbon and graphite pencils. The background is done using a water-soluble graphite pencil (8B Staedtler). I used both carbon and the regular graphite pencils to draw the poppy seed pod. I'd been meaning to draw simple, black and white botanical portraits like this for the longest time. And I'm glad to have finally done so. It was my first time ever to draw this subject, and the experience was just the right combination of ease and difficulty. (Perhaps less of the difficulty, if I may be quite bold and brazen.)

This small piece on 200 GSM watercolor paper measures 6 inches x 6 inches. I have lots of these small cut-outs that I made out of 12 in. x 12 in. papers. They were originally meant for collage art but then I've found that they're just as good for graphite drawings. And, even if the initial plan was just to make noncommittal drawings, I believe this piece has become an intentional artwork on its own.

Supplies used:

• Staedtler Mars Lumograph Graphite Watercolor Pencils
• Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black, Carbon Blend Pencils
• STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph Art Drawing Pencils
• Corona Watercolor Paper 200 GSM (local brand)

Back to pencil drawing

It's such a pain to lose one's painting groove, especially when you know that you need to get it back as soon as possible. I stopped painting sometime in April or May in preparation for our US trip and while we were trying to slowly empty the small apartment and the big house in the province. I could simply not concentrate on any artwork, so I thought to just stop and focus on what had to be done. It was tough to put away my supplies but I had to do it. 

Well, we've since returned from the US and have dutifully emptied the small apartment. I have boxed and unboxed most of my supplies and organized them in the most convenient way. But I still feel like there's a desert within me. So, I took out my pencils and tried to revive an old love: figure drawing

I had fun for a while until I felt the excitement wane again. I took out my watercolor sets and brushes and started doodling and swatching colors and mixes. Nothing much came out of it except a few small landscape paintings that seemed like drills. Better than nothing, I know. 

Should I just stick to my trusty drawing pencils? I get impatient every time I finish a drawing because I would immediately want to turn it into a painting. But for some reason, the motivation to paint isn't there. Perhaps I should stay with my pencils for a while and just draw whatever I feel like drawing. Let the pencil be the stump and the self be not stumped. 

Quiet and Without Content

This blog has been like that, yes. I'd been meaning to update since the last time but for some reason I keep getting stalled and ideas just keep going down the drain. It must have been that addictive lure of social media. I practically soaked my brain in feeds that didn't make me so productive at all. Sure, there's that thrill of getting hearts and likes. But, no, by and large that didn't serve me well at all. This year I really hope to blog more and write more about my creative process and projects.

No promises here, though I've got a nice lineup of posts to make. Those will have to wait a bit until I'm able to transfer all my smartphone photos into this laptop. Until then, here's wishing that you're having a nice creative day and doing something that adds perk to your soul. Happy weekend! :o)

Art Journal: A Game Of Chess

Sometime last year, Stella learned some basic chess moves. She was 6 and totally hooked on every kind of board game she might find interesting. (She has also created some of her own, how very cute is that!) Chess is one of those board games that she enjoys. She looks forward to castling and having one of her pawns reach the end so she could take back her bishop or Queen. She and I would play together while a stew is simmering at the stove. I don't always have the time for board games, but I'd hate to disappoint my kids when they ask for play time. It's like I'm shortchanging them if I refuse. So for like two weeks, the then 6 y.o. played chess with me. Sometimes I win, sometimes she does. Of course, I do it all for love. 

I made this sketch in my vintage-themed sketchbook. It's supposed to be my entry for Day 2, but that project's on hold for now. So I thought to not write Day 2 on the title of this post. I used a drawing pen, some watercolor markers and Inktense pencils, and Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels. I just love how creamy these oil pastels are!! 

Day 1: Inky Sunflowers

Last year's attempt at The 100 Day Project failed, as I couldn't seem to get the right mix of energy and inspiration for making art every single day for 100 consecutive days. I realized it wasn't the right time to take on a rigid challenge.

This year I decided to be a little kinder to myself: I will complete the 100 days of sketching but not in a harried way. I will take my time and work on "a day" when I'm really free and able to. Yes, it's kind of a cheat version of the challenge. But the goal here is to reach the number (i.e. 100) and to push myself in a gentle way. I'm impressed with how others do it regularly and on a daily basis. Good for them. I can't keep up at this point in my life though. So I'll just try to work on a spread or a page every way I can and enjoy the process.

So here goes Day 1: Inky Sunflowers

I knew I wanted to work with my dip pen and fountain pens but was clueless as to what subject to render. Then I spotted this scuffed and slightly aged gift tag lying in one of my plastic trays. Oh, it was the very first tag that I got from my husband when we were still dating. He got me a sunflower then and he wrote something cheesy on that tag. Our wedding also had the sunflower theme and my wedding bouquet was a simple but awesome arrangement of sunflowers. So I thought to draw my own version of a sunflower wedding bouquet for Day 1 of my 100 Day Project for 2017.

I used a Diamine sepia drawing ink with my J. Herbin dip pen. The flowers and leaves were outlined with Platinum Preppy fountains pens, and the rest of the drawing was inked and colored with Inktense pencils. Indeed, this one's an inky sunflower!

Watercolor Sketch of Flowers in a Basket

Who’s crazy about flowers? Me! I think I’ll never grow tired of looking at and painting flowers. I’m particularly drawn to flowers that can bravely cover an entire field or meadow. Wild flowers and perennials are a huge fave, as well as Autumn and Spring flowers. (Okay, maybe all sorts of flowers!)

Here’s a watercolor sketch of a variety of flowers in a basket. I seem to have a thing for flowers placed in baskets (also: old/vintage canisters). So when I spotted a picture of a basket of flowers on the cover of a green living book, I knew I had to sketch it.

This sketch was done in my Moleskine watercolor album using Winsor & Newton and ShinHan paints. I just used a B pencil for the initial drawing. I so enjoyed making the splatters!

Watercolor Sketch: Flower Market in Paris

I am forever in awe of beautiful flower shops and flower markets. I once dreamed of becoming a flower shop owner. Perhaps that dream is still in my list. For now, though, I am content drawing and painting flowers in my sketchbooks. I found a lovely photo of a flower market and decided to render it in my Moleskine watercolor album.

I'm pleased with how loose and light this one turned out. I just drew the picture with a pencil and then reinstated a few lines with a fine brush. The white letters on the black chalkboard were written using a white Sakura gelly roll pen. 

The Love for Things Analogue: My Very First Traveler's Notebook

I began to form interest in traveler's notebooks when I came across the hashtag #loveforanalogue on Instagram. Sure, I've known the TN for years. But never before have I thought to purchase one because, well, as the term implies, it's probably designed for people who travel. I don't travel a lot, so I didn't see the point in keeping a travel journal.

But as the days and months ensued and I kept watch of the many posts about this TN thing, my curiosity finally got tickled. I've always been a journal keeper, and a lover of things analogue (from handwritten letters to saddle-stitched notebooks to old cell phones). I waited a while before I made the purchase because I wanted to make sure that I'll be ready for it and swelling with eagerness to use it.

Most TN covers are made of hard leather, some are made of faux leather, some out of fabric scraps, and some combine fabric and leather. I would've wanted the fabric cover at first but I couldn't find anything like it here in the Philippines. The best alternative that I found was this artdori from aireescreates.com. The cover is made of organically treated abaca. How can I resist something that's plant-based? :o) I placed my order at the start of 2017 and now I'm so into it. I love how strong the TN cover is and how good it smells. The 2 inserts that come with it are bulky and the paper can take collage, acrylic, inks, and watercolors. 

I've got my eyes on other brands of TN and I'll probably purchase one or two more within the year. In the meantime, I'm making the most out of this beautiful artdori by posting reading notes and other ephemera and mementos. Yes, you can say I've fallen into the rabbit hole. Joyfully.

Mixed-Media Portraits in My Paper Bag Journal

I haven't blogged for a week! I've been so busy with weekend family and school affairs + I've been suffering from seasonal allergies. It's never easy having to deal with cough and colds while trying to get on with the daily grind. But what is life without a few challenges, eh? Anyhow, I'm here again to share with you two portrait studies done on the pages of this brown paper bag journal that I made last time. I love how this handmade journal turned out. The pages are lighter in tone and they're sturdy enough to take in acrylics and other water-based medium.

Here's the first portrait study that I made:

I was experimenting with skin tones here. I wanted to try beige but I didn't have that color in my acrylic collection. So I used white mixed with warm gray instead. Then I colored her hair with a mix of greenish yellow and olive green. I used Inktense pencils to outline and add details.

And here's the second portrait study:

She's one of those vintage dolls that I like to make. For this portrait, I thought to experiment with acrylics, gelatos, and distress ink. The hair and the dress are mostly acrylics with a little dabbing of distress ink. The face and the background colors are acrylics and gelatos combined. I normally use gelatos toward the end of my painting process as I prefer to use them for adding depth and drama.

Painting on a brown paper bag is almost like painting on toned paper. I enjoy the experience every time, and I love how my creations turn out. I prefer to use acrylics over a gessoed page. However, feel free to experiment with watercolors, charcoal, pastel, and other mediums.

Watercolor sketch: Leaf from a Talisay tree

The Universe connects with us every time and it is up to us how we wish to respond to its prompts. Yesterday morning, after driving my little girl to preschool, I planned on doing field sketches at our parish church’s grotto. I was very eager to do so as I hadn’t done any live outdoor sketching for months already. But then, I came to think about my chores and other pressing errands for the day. So I ditched the idea and proceeded to drive home. Along the way,  a big leaf from a Talisay tree was blown by the wind and it landed on my car’s windshield. For about half a minute, I waited for it to be blown away again, but it didn’t. It got stuck on the edge of the windshield. It was then that I realized I could bring home this lovely leaf and sketch it. It is after all the leaf of a Talisay tree -- one of my favorite trees. And, you know, I've always enjoyed drawing leaves. (Ask my Botany teacher. Hee hee.)

So I stopped the car, got out, and grabbed this leaf. When I reached home, I laid it carefully on my art table and headed to the backyard to finish my laundry. The whole time I was loading the clothes and hanging them to dry, I was thinking about the leaf and how it just came to me, as if wanting to be drawn and painted. Or maybe it’s just me trying to romanticize this ordinary occurrence. Or maybe I’m just trying to find a reason to sketch. What does it matter, anyway? The important thing is, I was able to sketch that day. And I did it for the love of leaves, trees, sketchbooks, and watercolors.

Art Journal Spread: Faith Love Courage Joy

It's the beginning of another work week. I'm glad that my weekend went well and that I had enough time to rest and recover. I wasn't able to do any serious painting or art journaling, but I was finally able to declutter the mess behind my dining chair. (It's complicated.) I got to give my eldest daughter the chance to doodle and draw in my sketchbook and that made her giddy all over. My second daughter and I also had plenty of talks about her storyline sketches. My husband made this really awesome salmon soup for Sunday lunch. And we all got to attend the Sunday Mass. Yes, 'twas a lovely weekend, I can say.

 

Now, let me share with you this art journal spread that I made last week, while dealing with cold and flu-like symptoms. I wasn't in the mood to draw faces and somehow every time I tried to draw one, it came out really bad. Why bother with portraits when you can make nice loopy flowers that look like electric fans? I drew these flowers on an art journal spread with glued yellow tissue wrap for texture. (Click on the image to see more details.) I stamped some musical notes and old script before coloring the edges and select areas with Faber-Castell gelatos in pastel colors, Lyra water-soluble crayons, and Ranger distress inks.Then I added the tiny word stickers from CosmoCricket. 

I love how this artwork turned out. I spent days looking at the colors and getting some positive energy from them. Yes, this art journal spread is all about color healing and color therapy.  

Have you tried art journaling to help you recover from something?

Art Journal Page: Feeling Under The Weather

I caught a bug at the start of the week and haven't been feeling well since. My kindergartner had to miss two days of school and my husband had to take up extra household chores so I could get some rest. I'm getting better now, I believe, but not yet fully recovered. Thank God, it's almost the weekend. I am so looking forward to a day or two of prolonged rest in bed and not having to get up at around 4 in the morning. Yup. I just need that extra snooze before my official call time.

 

Anyway, here's a painting of a girl that I rendered on the first page of my Artist's Loft sketchbook. She's the reason why that sketchbook turned into an acrylic-based mixed-media art journal. She just led the way. 

Happy weekend, everyone!

Sketching in my A6 Monologue art journal

Since I resumed painting in acrylics and other media last November, my watercolor set has been quietly sleeping on the corner of my art desk. If you have followed my old blog and previous IG posts, you probably know that I was mostly into watercolor painting and sketching. When I relived my passion for art more than 2 years ago, the one medium that I chose to 'master' was the watercolor. For the simple reason that it's handy and easier to work with. (I'm a busy work-at-home mom, you see...) But late last year, I decided that perhaps I can already dabble into my dream of doing mixed-media artwork. My kids now know better not to play with Mama's acrylics and brushes, and they are now willing to give me 30 to 60 minutes of art time on a fine day. So I kept doing all these mixed-media paintings and art journal pages... Until I found myself at my art desk 4 days before Christmas, yearning to just sketch and wash. Yes, I've missed the good old stuff!

So I brought out my A6 Monologue sketchbook with gross-grained paper (a really good one for watercolor sketches), a pencil, and a drawing pen. I was stumped for a while and didn't know what to draw or paint. Then I saw my new tube of gesso and thought to use it as subject. It was midnight after all and there's just no way I could find a nice pot of flowers to sketch.  Might as well make do with whatever's there right in front of me. My husband bought the Reeves gesso for me earlier that day 'cause he knew I was badly running out of gesso. So sweet, right? 

 

To make this simple sketch, I just used the usual stuff in my watercolor kit: my Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketchbox of 24 colors, an HB Faber-Castell Art GRIP pencil, a Zig Kuretake water brush with a large tip, and a black Faber-Castell Fine PITT Artist pen. I hope to make more watercolor sketches in the days and weeks to come. I find watercolor sketching very relaxing. It also helps me come up with quick studies for mixed-media paintings.

What have you been sketching lately?

04 January 2016: New art prints at my Society6 shop

Christmas break is over and my husband and kids are back to work and school. And here I am pecking on this keyboard to let you know that I finally found the time to upload new artworks over at my Society6 art page. I often experience a high every time I post an artwork there. But seeing 3 new artworks is something. I suppose this is pure joy. I just had to printscreen this panel of prints from my homepage, crop it, and post it here and there.

I'm currently working on a series of canvas art and art journal pages with different subjects this time. I do so enjoy drawing and painting girls, but I have to admit that I also get stumped along the way. Maybe I need to reconnect with the other important elements in my art-making process. 

Oh, by the way, these art prints are available for purchase in various sizes over at http://society6.com/connieluayon. Free worldwide shipping offers come out every now and again, so you might want to check on that in case you're interested. Thanks and have a great week ahead!

Learning How to Draw The 3/4 Profile

I am perpetually in awe of artists who can draw the human head from the 3/4 angle without so much effort. Drawing the 3/4 profile can be a bit of a challenge for me. And, as I've read through forums, many other artists deal with this dilemma too. Somehow it feels good to know that I'm not alone. Then again, I should never seek comfort in this knowledge every time. Getting out of my comfort zone and taking risks are necessary to further my growth as an artist. I may also suffer from embarrassment, I suppose. And that's totally fine by me.

Image copyright 2016: Connie Luayon

Anyway, while attempting to draw a new portrait one afternoon, my husband suggested that I draw one facing "the other way". I had to explain to him that drawing from the other 3/4 angle is a daunting task for me and this is why most of the faces I draw are facing my left. It's a lot easier that way. But then, at that moment, I decided to take his suggestion and drew a woman in a different 3/4 view. I started with the eyes and then the nose and lips and then the face outline, and so on and so forth. Was I happy with the result? Yes, surprisingly ... I was! 

The mixed-media painting that you see above was done in my A5 Artist's Loft sketchbook. I sketched the subject with the Inktense outliner. I used Koh-I-Noor Mondeluz watercolor pencils to color the skin and the clothes. I painted everything over with acrylics and lined the rest with Inktense pencils. The background elements and overlays are made with the help of clear stamps and rubber stamps and archival inks. 

For those who could use additional guide to drawing the head, I highly recommend Hogarth's Drawing the Human Head.

My First Brown Paper Bag Art Journal

A big hello to all of you! It's been a relatively busy Christmas break for me so I haven't had much time for artsy stuff. Well, I did a lot of background pages in my art journal two days ago. And, I worked on a portrait study yesterday afternoon (while my tween girl looked on and got some painting tips along the way). OKAY, maybe I've done much during the holidays after all. I was probably just exaggerating or lacking that sense of normalcy in terms of art-making. Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!

Anyway, I'm sharing with you this time my first ever hand-stitched brown paper bag art journal. Wait .... did I say BROWN PAPER BAG!?!?! Yes, you and I got it right. Brown paper shopping bags! I made an art journal out of brown paper bags from National Bookstore, a popular chain of bookshop and school supplies store here in the Philippines. I guess it's not surprising that I have lots of these bags. It's just hard to walk out of that store without any purchase. I mean, admittedly, I really am a heavy stationery/office/school/art supplies consumer. And so are my little girls. NBS is our favorite store and we make it a point to visit a branch every time we go to a mall. So, yes, I do get these brown paper bags every so often. I realize it's not enough that I just use them as mats when I paint; I thought it's time I glorify them with some upcycling movement.

 

Thanks to Cristina of CreativeMag.ro for the lovely idea. I made my own brown paper bag journal in less than a hour. Seriously. I cut up the brown paper into small sheets without following exact measurements but made sure that they would all end up in approximately similar sizes. I trimmed a few uneven edges before I stitched everything pamphlet-style. Then I secured the binding with wide washi tapes. I've gessoed a few pages in this journal for mixed-media artwork and have done a portrait study. I'll share with you my progress in the next few days ... or weeks! 

Blogging resumes in January 2016. Today is going to be a busy day 'cause we're all preparing for New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to all of you! May you always find the Beautiful and the Sacred in the Ordinary.

Canvas Art: See The World, Travel Travel

I haven't had the chance to do canvas work since the Christmas break commenced. But that's not because I don't have the time; it's because I ran out of gesso! Well, I finally got a new tube of gesso yesterday, so I'm hoping to begin a few mixed media canvas projects during the holiday break. In the meantime, let me share with you this collage painting that I made sometime in November, about a week before my birthday.

I did this one on an 8" x 10" canvas board panel. I love doing collage on canvas boards because the surface is sturdier and more flat than a stretched canvas. I don't get a lot of unwanted warped parts. (It's not the kind of texture that I like.) Plus, canvas panels are cheaper than stretched canvas. I'm still a practising artist so I try to avoid experimenting on costly substrates.

I used various art supplies and mediums to create this collage painting: acrylics, Inktense pencils, archival ink, gelatos, drawing pens, gel medium, rub-ons, designer papers, and embellishments. To be honest, this is one work I'm really proud of. I learned so much in the process and I believe I was able to make real the vision that was in my head. It really means a lot to me.

Sketching With A Charcoal Pencil

Sometimes the only thing I want to do at my art desk is sketch with a pencil. Most days I make do with watercolor pencils. I like to mix and match different colors for study. In some cases, a simple charcoal pencil would suffice. And when I do a charcoal sketch, I usually just leave it as it is. No other color to go with it. Just a plain sketch. This one, however, is an exception: It's a preliminary sketch for a short art journal series that used quotes from the Jane Eyre novel.

 

This drawing of a young girl was done in my A5 Artist's Loft sketchbook. The pages are all white; I just glued a blue tissue wrap on the page for texture and then drew on it. As you can see in the photo, I used a Derwent charcoal pencil to sketch. I prefer the Light pencil because it seems to have a softer and smoother glide than the Medium or the Dark. 

Do you like to sketch with a charcoal pencil?