Cobalt Hue

One of my favorite things to do in the studio besides painting is filling tubes with oil paints. As of late I have been interested in using Cobalt blue as my primary blue.  (being inspired by looking at paintings by Monet and other Impressionists)  For the past couple years my palette has been mostly Phthalo blue, Magenta, Lemon yellow and Titanium white.

One day I did an experiment with 3 different cobalt blues to compare the quality of colour when mixed with titanium white.  A tube from Pebeo, Winsor & Newton and Georgian Oils. I found the W&N and Pebeo to be very close in tinting strength even though the Pebeo was $8 versus W&N being $30.  I also noticed the contents of what made up the Pebeo version of cobalt didn't actually contain cobalt which was a happy surprise since cobalt does pose a potential health hazard. (though only apparently in dust form) So I thought why not mix my own Cobalt Hue which is basically finding the right amount of Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue and Titanium white.

I would always prefer to use traditional Cobalt Blue, it's lightfastness or permanence as a pigment has been proven to stand the test of time, but when in need of a cheaper solution I'm happy to use the Cobalt Hue mixture.

Below you can see my 200 ml tube of mixed Cobalt hue.

Random cafe sketches

I always keep a small sketchbook in my coat pocket
It’s a bit like an artistic security blanket, if I feel the
creative urge to draw something it isn’t far away.

Back in my college days when I was taking illustration
my teachers encouraged us to always keep a sketchbook
Handy saying  “ideas are golden!” You might think of an
idea today and forget about it.  But it could lead you to the
next great painting, or movie script or business idea.
Being a course on illustration they would encourage us to
communicate ideas visually and not just in the written
form.

Ok no great movie scripts here, just some sketches of people
at cafes, just some fun.

Game time

Everyone gets their game face on while strategizing
their next move, though Charlie usually wins!
The game they are playing is called Splendor
A favourite of the Romanowitch family.

Classical Inspiration

Growing up I was inspired by my Grandfather’s enthusiasm for all things classical.  He made pottery in the style of the Greeks, collected old coins, always had a picture or two of Michelangelo’s hanging on the wall and would tell me courageous tales of warriors who lived in ancient times.  As an impressionable young artist it wasn’t long before I wanted to try my hand at recreating a few of these things, in turn most of my teenage years were spent copying old works that inspired me.

Below are a few of them that are still around.

Erik at work

Some days I like to spend my lunch break plein air painting
or sketching. My usual go to sketching equipment is a trusty
ballpoint pen and sketchbook (so I don’t waste any time
sharpening a pencil) Although in this case I used a mechanical
pencil for a change.  My Friend Erik was busy working away
on his computer and roughly held the same pose for about an hour.
Thanks Erik!   :)

Yolanda Driving

It’s fun when you make the best use of a long drive.
Having a good conversation, listening to music, listening to an audiobook.
In this case there was a moment of silence on our way to Yolanda’s parents
to celebrate her Birthday so I decided to sketch.  I usually don’t sketch while
in a moving vehicle, I tend to get a motion sickness feeling but I seemed ok
with it this day... the bumpy road added something to the sketchy lines.

Sculpture sketching

A sketch done earlier in the year while visiting the AGO.
I’ve always enjoyed drawing from sculpture, I like to walk
around the piece and find the most interesting angle with a
strong silhouette and shapes that convey volume.