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Hat Adventure

Recently I discovered the Ballard Millinery Studio in Seattle Washington and decided to take some hat making classes. First up is a two-day Sinamay hat class offered by Tina Guintini at the Studio. She supplied instructions, hands on assistance and many tips from her Millinery making career (US & British). As the student, I needed…
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Adding Color Pencil to the Sketchbook

This month I am taking a dive into color pencils. I recently started a class with Cynthia Armstrong where we are learning the techniques of color pencil and the use of color pencil on various types of paper. The art color pencil was invented in 1924 by Faber Castell and Caren d’Ache. It is known…
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Improving Perspective

My plan is to improve my skills in capturing perspective in my sketches. Perspective applies to structures and landscapes as well as a vase on the table or a quick sketch of a plant. With better skills I can quickly make a sketch and get it looking proper from the start. I am working through…
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Color of Bird Feathers

As I continue lessons in watercolor painting of Shorebirds with Ian de Hoog, our bird subjects these past weeks brings color of feathers to mind. The colors in the feathers of a bird are formed in two different ways, from either pigments or from light refraction caused by the structure of the feather. www.allaboutbirds.org Of…