Ah I'm blogging again.....go me! So first things first, those of you who have seen previous posts will know I've been working on a Geisha cross stitch for a little while now! I've managed to make some real progress in the last week or so...I'm pretty pleased!
I say real progress....I guess it's not that much rurally but it feels like it to me haha! I've actually done a little bit more since this photo was taken. It will be finished one day.....one day!
I've also managed to get some time on the mermaid that I've also been working on for an age! She's just been sitting there on my desk for weeks and weeks! Well it was finally time to start the colouring....
This was the first stage.....this was the point that i realised i didn't actually have all the colours it was suggested that you use...damn :-P I had to improvise slightly which is why my Mermaid has been on holiday and now has a lovely tan (ooopppssss). The first stage was to put a thin layer of water soluble wax crayon down and then go over it in watered down acrylic. I must admit i don't think I've ever used a water soluble crayon in my life and I think it showed! I had no idea how much water was too much or not enough, I basically just jabbed at the page with the brush and hoped for the best!
Then we had to add shading and colour.....yeah it was at this point that I wanted to cry! I didn't have the right colour for the cheeks and when I first put the pink i had on she looked like a clown! I ended up having to add more white and more water which lead to the paper starting to warp......there is such a thing as too much water then! I was using water colour paper but the last time I used this stuff was about 12 years ago when i was doing A Level (that made me feel incredibly old). I didn't give up though, I shaded some more and just thought screw it I'll use my own colours. This was in no way a reflection on the class, I had just got to the point where it was so completely different than the mermaid on the screen I had to wing it haha!!
It's a little better! I still think the cheeks are a little dark and the edges not soft enough and I'm not sure of the browny red colour around her hairline but it really could have been worse! I'm quite proud of the eyes, eyes have never been my thing. If you click on the image I think it will go bigger so you will be able to see the detail a little more.
So the things I learnt from this are.....water colour paper is not my friend, I am not very good with water soluble crayons and I really need to check what colours I'll need to use in future :-P
Just before i go here is a picture of a zebra I knitted (Zooey to be precise) for my friends little girl. She made it safe and sound and is now taking selfie's with her new friends :-)
You can see all my knitted things in my shop Snow Bunny's Knits. I don't have any toys on there at the moment but you can always email me or leave a comment on here as I'm happy to help wherever I can!!
Well anyway that's it for now! See you all again soon!
First of all - great selfie, Zebra, and I'm glad you've settled in with your new friends.
ReplyDeleteI do like your mermaid, she's fine, I've never got on very well with watercolour paper either except for the very, smooth stuff which I think is called Hot-pressed.
I think i'll have to try the super smooth stuff next time!!
DeleteLooks fabulous.xxxThe Journey is the Start
ReplyDeleteAh thank you :-)
DeleteCarol, she is looking gorgeous. I always think it's good to not do an exact copy of the class anyway, that way you are finding your own style more. I love her - that dark colour at the top will look like shadowing once her hair colour goes on. The eyes and mouth are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm still learning about watercolour paper - is it thick enough? I have a Winsor & Newton Bockingford pad that is 140lb and that doesn't buckle very much at all. I want to try the super smooth stuff that Sheila mentioned too.
The geisha is looking really good, you have so much more patience than me!
p.s My favourite way to use water soluble crayons is to either dab water onto a plate and then rub the colour into that so it kind of turns into watercolour or to use a wet brush on the crayon so it's transferring the colour to the brush. When I try to use the crayon directly on paper I always get streaks but I don't the other ways.
ReplyDeleteThis is 140lbs but I think I may as well have poured a glass of water over it the amount I put on :-/ :-P I want to try the smooth stuff too, i always prefer smooth paper anyway :-P I loved using the crayons in the end! I'm going to practise a bit more I think!!
DeleteYour geisha is looking fabulous, you're doing so well with it and Zooey looks so snug there with his new buddies.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm no expert, but I think your mermaid is looking fab. Like Carmen said, the top will look like shadowing once her hair is done, as for her cheeks, I think they're great and you're quite right to be proud of those lovely eyes :o))
Ah thank you!! I do hope she looks ok! I used to be pretty good at this sort of thing but i've not done it in so long! I'm hoping it will all come back to me soon :-P
DeleteYou are a woman of many talents, my friend! I love that cross-stitch so much! It is absolutely beautiful and so full of detail! I think your progress on your mermaid is wonderful and I cannot wait to see the finished product! And that zebra is so adorable!!!! Thanks, also, for your wonderful visit to my blog!
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough i'm always complaining i'm not talented enough :-P I'd love to be a master of something haha! I am pleased with my Geisha though!!
DeleteAny progress is good! Maybe try watercolour pencils first? They are a lot more forgiving.
ReplyDeleteI bought some recently so hopefully I will be able to wield them with more authority :-P
DeleteWow, Caz, I think you are way too hard on yourself. When I clicked to enlarge, I really liked how she looks so far and think the eyes are fantastic. I love that you said screw and kept going and I hope that you will finish her. Have you ever tried watercolor pencils and a water brush? I find them to be much easier and you still get amazing color and washes, but more control. Keep at it, however you do it. And please don't give up on watercolor paper. Like with everything, it takes practice and it really is the best media for watercoloring. Zooey is totally cool!! And what a happy group of friends to live with!! Hugs, Darnell
ReplyDeleteThank you :-) I am determined to finish both the Geisha and the mermaid! I have other projects in mind too so i better get my skates on haha!!
DeleteI think your mermaid is turning out good. Of course she has a tan... I assume she lives in tropical waters and regularly suns herself on the beach. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the cross stitch. You are almost done!!! That's a lot of work, but well worth it.
haha i'd not thought about it like that!! I'm pretty sure if I lived in a tropical climate I would be outside quite a lot more :-P Although my skin does not like the sun so i'd have to be in one of those victorian swimming costumes thats basically a dress :-P
DeleteGlad to see that you are making progress with your projects, the cross stitch looks really pretty!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I don't know what to do with her when she is done!!
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