Own Your Encore

Carmine is the color obtained from the cochineal insect and continues to be used today in producing organic color. Carmine is a cool red (purple biased). A little history… Thousands of years ago, Mesoamericans discovered that pinching an insect found on prickly pear cacti yielded a blood-red stain on fingers and fabric. The tiny creature—a…

Sweet peas are, not surprisingly members of the pea family: their botanical name is Greek for “pea”. Sweet peas are Lathyrus odorous – or “fragrant peas”. But although they look alike, there is an important difference. Most peas are edible, including the wild, or “sea” peas , which in 1555, a year of famine, “miraculously”…

On a rainy day the large bright bill of the male Surf Scoter deserves attention. Is that Pyrrole Orange (top) or Transparent Orange? Pyrrole Orange [Daniel Smith PO73] wins. unforgettable semi-transparent/semi-opaque orange is a smooth, saturated and pure addition to the watercolorist’s palette.  Daniel Smith Pyrrole is an organic compound that defines the ingredients and…

With four lessons on the components of a watercolor seascape now on my palette approaching the water will be a bit more organized. I look forward to hitting the beach with my new skills! Clouds. Waves. Sand. Horizon. All of the sketches in this class are from photographs. No use of masking fluid when making…