Painting the Crystal Palace of Madrid, Plein Air -Landscape of Light – World Heritage Autumn 2021

Posted on November 25, 2021 by victoria A. Olson

I started the pencil drawing on the 18th of September 2021.

I returned the next day on the 19th of September and added a little color in the sky.

I returned again September 26th. It had been raining in between sessions and the landscape became more beautiful.

September 28th

October 7th

I finished on October 14th. Here is my presentation of the painting. I have already put it in my virtual Art Gallery.

It was a lot of fun painting the Crystal Palace. I met a lot of nice people.

The Crystal Palace was granted World Heritage on the 25th of July 2021.

Thank you for reading my little story,

Victoria

Glasswork with Early February Almond Blossoms Watercolor

Posted on February 27, 2021 by victoria A. Olson

Glasswork with Early February Almond Blossoms 2021

Spring flowers are blooming all around!

I took a few notes about the process. It’s really fun to paint with watercolors. I’m using 640 gsm.

I start out with a real model. Glass objects with flowers is my all time favorite thing to paint. I like color, a lot.

I work around the paper trying to give the same importance to everything in the foreground and the background.

When I finish, I carefully take the tape off and let it dry. Then I put the paper under a stack of books to flatten it. It looks so much nicer when it’s flattened.

I like to take a picture of the watercolor and the model together.

I also take a picture of the watercolor in natural light or in full shade to show the true colors.

These two watercolors go very well together.

Portuguese Botijo with Early Spring Blossoms 2021

Thank you for taking the time. Enjoy the spring,

Victoria

A small watercolor of the Almudena Cathedral. Blue sky with a bit of crimson. The Almudena has a huge evergreen growing in front of the gate. There are a few street lamps with the black latern from days of old. The view is from accross the street.

A small Watercolor of The Almudena Cathedral Madrid, Spain.

Posted on June 24, 2018 by victoria A. Olson

I like to start a watercolor with a light grid to keep my parallel lines parallel. I start with a pencil sketch and then go on to pen and ink.

A photo of a pen and ink drawing of the Almudena Cathedral taped down to the drawing board.

Pen & Ink La Almudena Cathedral

I tape down all of my watercolors to get the white edge of the paper. Don’t think you need anything expensive. I use carpenter’s tape, but it’s only there for a couple of hours. I wouldn’t leave it there for more than a day.

A small watercolor of the Almudena taped down to a drawing board. There is a big evergreen in front of the gate. The Almudena is seen from accross the street.

A small watercolor taped down to the drawing board.

This is the white edge I’m talking about. When the tape is taken off, you have a white border.

A small watercolor of the Almudena in my hand to see the size. You can see a thumb holding a corner of the watercolor. The watercolor is a line and wash of the Almudena Cathedral with a big evergreen in front of the main gate. You can also see some old time street gas lamps.

Small Watercolor of Almudena Cathedral June 24th 2018

Click Here is a really short video of the painting site.

Madrid is great!

A small line and wash watercolor of wild flowers in a yellow glass bottle.

Three Small Line & Wash Watercolors

Posted on June 16, 2018 by victoria A. Olson

In the spring, there are plenty of flowers to paint. This is a line & wash. First you draw with ink and then just lay a wash over the line leaving any white for light.

A small postcard size line and wash watercolor with a few wildflowers. An orange poppy in the foreground with a crimson flower on the right top corner and small violet flowers on the bottom right. Blue background

Wildflowers in Yellow Bottle with blue curtain 2016

Wildflowers in Yellow Bottle 2016

A small line and wash watercolor of wild flowers from a top view. It's a bit abstract. You can see a pink petal flower and part of a California poppy as well as the color blue and purple of other flowers.

Wildflowers in Yellow Bottle Top View 2016

These are very quick watercolors that I don’t have any more. I send them as postcards.

The Retiro Rose Garden, la Rosalera.

Posted on November 29, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

The Dolphin Fountain at the Retiro Park in Madrid.

I just started this painting last weekend. I’m still working on it. I take photos of the process of painting to have a look at later…

The same fountain as above around five hours later.

I only paint with natural light. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I turn off all devises, disconnect for the weekend and paint all day.

Summer June Flowers 2017

Posted on July 29, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

After our funny hail storm in June, these little yellow sun flowers bloomed on the terrace all at once.

I took out my easel and oil paints onto the terrace and started to paint the mini sun flowers early morning.

I mix my own colors with natural pigment bound with linseed oil. The colors are: cadmium lemon yellow, yellow chrome, transparent gold ochre, cadmium orange, magnesium blue, intense crimson, tierra sombra and cadmium red.

I usually start with my favorite part and build around it.

I just try to paint what I see.

I put the exact color and shape on the canvas as quickly and accurately as possible.

Here again the next morning in the hot sun.

Here I started putting in the skyline.

Since all the colors influence each other, I try to find all them as quickly as possible before the light changes.

The background colors are established, so now I start with more detail in the foreground.

I felt as if I had finished the painting at this point and then I couldn’t resist putting a scumble on it to push the back ground into the distance.

So little by little I started building up the foreground, leaving the back ground alone.

Summer June Flowers 2017.

White Almond Blossoms in Talavera Vase Watercolor March 2017

Posted on April 23, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

This spring I was only able to paint one watercolor of the white almond blossoms. They bloomed, it rained, it was windy and they were gone.

These are some of the steps taken.

I started out by putting the vase and the flowers on the paper first.

Then I start working around the paper putting in the colors and shapes I see.

Here I start looking for contrast.

Looking for depth.

Looking for atmosphere too.

Figure Painting

Posted on February 23, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

Dante’s Inferno Canto IV in process – Mixed Technique: Tempera Under-painting and Resin-Oil Finish.

ILLustration in Process of Canto IV, Limbo

Almost finished…(Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy)

Canto IV Session 20

The mixed technique is oil paint and egg tempera. The resin-oil drying time is more than a few days.

When drying a painting with this kind of mixture make sure the painting is isolated for a few days since all varnishes are volatile and harmful.

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is as Divine as Epic Poetry gets. There’s nothing pretty about the poem to paint and art has never been about painting a pretty pictures.

I’ve posted three sessions, the other sessions in between were mistakes taken off of the canvas. ;).

Session 19

Canto IV Limbo Session 10

Figurative Mixed Media Painting Process of Canto IV, an Illustration of Limbo inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

Posted on November 19, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I start with stretcher bars.

73 cm x 100 cm or 28.74 in x 39.37 in

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

duck cloth

I mounted the material on the stretcher bars, gave it a thin coat of rabbit skin glue (let it dry) and then I primed it. Primer: Mix equal amounts of zinc oxide, calcium sulfate and rabbit skin glue. Pour the rabbit skin glue into the zinc oxide and calcium sulfate little by little mixing with a brush.

Primer

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Primed Canvas

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

Mixing the Emulsion

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

Dry Pigment with Emulsion and Spatula for mixing

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

Pigment mixed with emulsion and water container

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

Session 1 egg tempera under painting in process

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

Session 2 egg tempera under painting

This is the under painting.

Session 3 egg tempera under painting

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

Session 4 egg tempera under painting

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

Gold leaf

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

Session 5 gold leaf

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

Session 6 oil painting

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

Session 7 resin oil

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

Canto IV, Limbo Session 8

I’m waiting for this painting to dry completely so I can decide whether I want to stop or continue.

Figurative Painting Process – Canto IV -The Divine Comedy.

Posted on November 1, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Session 4

I’m putting the imagery together and keeping my rough draft in mind.

Canto 4 Session 5

According to the poem. There is a luminous castle in Limbo.

Canto 4 Session 6

So, this is the under-painting with gold leaf, egg tempera and oils.

Canto 4 Session 8

I started the pencil drawing on the 18th of September 2021.

I returned the next day on the 19th of September and added a little color in the sky.

I returned again September 26th. It had been raining in between sessions and the landscape became more beautiful.

September 28th

October 7th

I finished on October 14th. Here is my presentation of the painting. I have already put it in my virtual Art Gallery.

It was a lot of fun painting the Crystal Palace. I met a lot of nice people.

The Crystal Palace was granted World Heritage on the 25th of July 2021.

Thank you for reading my little story,

Victoria

Spring flowers are blooming all around!

I took a few notes about the process. It’s really fun to paint with watercolors. I’m using 640 gsm.

I start out with a real model. Glass objects with flowers is my all time favorite thing to paint. I like color, a lot.

I work around the paper trying to give the same importance to everything in the foreground and the background.

When I finish, I carefully take the tape off and let it dry. Then I put the paper under a stack of books to flatten it. It looks so much nicer when it’s flattened.

I like to take a picture of the watercolor and the model together.

I also take a picture of the watercolor in natural light or in full shade to show the true colors.

These two watercolors go very well together.

Thank you for taking the time. Enjoy the spring,

Victoria

I like to start a watercolor with a light grid to keep my parallel lines parallel. I start with a pencil sketch and then go on to pen and ink.

I tape down all of my watercolors to get the white edge of the paper. Don’t think you need anything expensive. I use carpenter’s tape, but it’s only there for a couple of hours. I wouldn’t leave it there for more than a day.

This is the white edge I’m talking about. When the tape is taken off, you have a white border.

Click Here is a really short video of the painting site.

Madrid is great!

In the spring, there are plenty of flowers to paint. This is a line & wash. First you draw with ink and then just lay a wash over the line leaving any white for light.

These are very quick watercolors that I don’t have any more. I send them as postcards.

After our funny hail storm in June, these little yellow sun flowers bloomed on the terrace all at once.

I took out my easel and oil paints onto the terrace and started to paint the mini sun flowers early morning.

I mix my own colors with natural pigment bound with linseed oil. The colors are: cadmium lemon yellow, yellow chrome, transparent gold ochre, cadmium orange, magnesium blue, intense crimson, tierra sombra and cadmium red.

I usually start with my favorite part and build around it.

I just try to paint what I see.

I put the exact color and shape on the canvas as quickly and accurately as possible.

Here again the next morning in the hot sun.

Here I started putting in the skyline.

Since all the colors influence each other, I try to find all them as quickly as possible before the light changes.

The background colors are established, so now I start with more detail in the foreground.

I felt as if I had finished the painting at this point and then I couldn’t resist putting a scumble on it to push the back ground into the distance.

So little by little I started building up the foreground, leaving the back ground alone.

Summer June Flowers 2017.

This spring I was only able to paint one watercolor of the white almond blossoms. They bloomed, it rained, it was windy and they were gone.

ILLustration in Process of Canto IV, Limbo

Canto IV Limbo Session 10

I start with stretcher bars.

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

This is the under painting.

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

I’m waiting for this painting to dry completely so I can decide whether I want to stop or continue.

I’m putting the imagery together and keeping my rough draft in mind.

According to the poem. There is a luminous castle in Limbo.

So, this is the under-painting with gold leaf, egg tempera and oils.

This is where I left off today.