SUNFLOWER FUN - Yupo Paper

SUNFLOWER FUN

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x17

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Painting with watercolor on Yupo is SO much fun! Yupo is a plastic paper that is used mostly for printing. The slick surface allows the watercolor paints to retain their brilliant color and provides for a loose, impressionistic painting style.

I first used an oil pastel to loosely and quickly draw the sunflowers, stems and leaves. Next. I applied bold color to the sunflower, leaves and background and then placed plastic wrap on the wet paint to create fun texture. When all was dry, I removed the plastic and used darker paint to further define the sunflower centers, petals and leaves. It is hard to control the paint on such a slick surface so you are constantly getting unexpected results, but that is what makes it so fun!

SPRING FLING & Ways to Loosen Up!

SPRING FLING

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x17

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It seems like most of my students through the years have wanted to learn to 'loosen up' their painting style. Not be so tight and controlled. But, how do you paint more freely and work more expressively? Below are some things to try.

Work at an easel or standing up at a table. This will allow your arm to move more freely as you paint and puts some distance between you and your art.

Make marks with your non-dominate hand/arm. This will force you to give up that tight control.

Hold the brush at the very end of the handle. Use large brushes. Make bold marks

Put on some energetic music. Move around and put energy into your painting.

Paint on a different surface. For Spring Fling I painted on yupo paper which has a slick surface that allows for a loose, impressionistic style while painting with watercolor.

Experiment with all of these ideas and practice, practice, practice! The more you paint, the easier it will be to loosen up. Enjoy the creative process. Have Fun!

SWIRL OF ROSES & Yupo Paper

SWIRL OF ROSES

Watercolor on yupo - 11x14

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I painted Swirl of Roses on yupo paper which has a slick, plastic surface that allows the paint to sit on top instead of soaking in. This allows the paint to retain its bright color and encourages a more painter look. It is also a great surface to stamp on. I used a swirl stamp, bubble wrap, a grid stamp and stars. Painting on yupo definitely takes you out of your comfort zone but is a ton of fun and a great way to loosen up!

 

RAINBOW FISH & Why Do You Paint?

RAINBOW FISH

Watercolor on Yupo - 14x18

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Why do you paint? I paint because I feel compelled to express myself with colors, shapes and values. I paint because I enjoy creating something from nothing. Seeing the composition come alive as the colors mix and the shapes take form. 

It is easy to get caught up in the self doubt and inner criticism. The worry that we aren't good enough. But, we must never lose sight of the joy that comes from the artistic process. The excitement of the being on a never ending, lifetime creative journey!

ARRAY OF DAISIES & Abstract Realism

ARRAY OF DAISIES

Watercolor on yupo - 14x18

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Realistic art aims to replicate nature and abstract art doesn't have a definable focus. When you combine these two elements to create an abstract impression of nature you get abstract realism.

Realistic abstraction is the perfect style to let watercolor create loose, free shapes, The challenge is to know when to stop trying to control the paint and when to let go.

I painted Array of Daisies on yupo paper where the slick surface allows the watercolor to flow freely and creat wonderful, bright colors. I then used some stamping and negative painting to define the daisies and leaves. Abstract realism at its best!

BLAZING ELEPHANT & The Pure Joy of Color!

BLAZING ELEPHANT

Watercolor on Yupo - 14x17

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Blazing Elephant is one of those rare paintings where magic happened while I was painting it! I used yupo paper which provides a slick surface for the watercolors to sit on and allows for bright, bold spontaneous painting. I spattered, spritzed, stamped and used negative painting to pull the shape of the elephant from the colorful background. Makes me happy everytime I look at it:)

Experimental WC - SUNFLOWER FUN

SUNFLOWER FUN

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x17

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I love to use my watercolors in unexpected ways and see creative magic happens. No other medium is as spontaneous and unpredictable as watercolor. For Sunflower Fun I used my watercolor paints on yupo paper which has a slick surface, allowing the colors to stay bright and pure.

I used oil pastel to draw in the sunflowers and then applied color freely to the yupo paper, letting everything mix and mingle as it wanted to. Not trying to control the outcome.

It can be scary to step outside of your creative comfort zone and risk failure but you will definitely grow as an artist, learn new techniques and come away with unexpected and unique results!

SUNFLOWER FUN - Watercolor on Yupo

SUNFLOWER FUN

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x17

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Yupo is a slick, plastic paper used in the printing world but it is a lot of fun to watercolor on, too. The paint sits on the surface instead of soaking in to the paper like traditional watercolor so the colors remain bold and bright.

I first drew the sunflowers on the white yupo paper with an oil pastel. Then, I applied bright watercolors on the sunflower, leaves and background with the oil pastel acting as a resist. I placed some plastic wrap on the wet paint to create texture in the background and when everything was dry I came back in with strong, drier paint to punch up the composition.

ROSES - Watercolor on Yupo

SWIRLS OF ROSES

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x14

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Yupo is slick, plastic paper that allows the paint to stay on the surface and colors remain bright and pure. I used some stamps for the swirls and stars for added design interest. Below I had a little photo fantasy fun with the painting.

Countdown to Valentine's Day - Creative Boredom

SWIRLS OF ROSES

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x14

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Creative boredom is real. It happens to the best of us whether we paint, cook, garden, sew, arrange flowers, decorate or sculpt. Our creative muscles need to be exercised in different ways. Monotony can set in quickly when the creative pursuit is performed too often and in the same way. 

When you start to feel bored or tired or uninterested in your artistic hobbies it is time to switch things up a bit. Try a new approach, new materials, a new location, new subject matter. Or completely switch gears and learn a new craft. 

I love watercolor but am constantly painting different subjects, trying different techniques or using different papers like the yupo paper shown above. Using a slick surface for watercolor is quite a challenge and I played with stamps, plastic wrap and some ink for added artistic fun.

Larger Than Life and Out on the Street

I found another fun photo app that lets you see what your painting would look like larger than life and out on the street! How fun would it be, to actually have your artwork displayed for all the world to see? I guess for now, I will just have to settle for a regular size version and if you would like to own it you can find it in my Etsy Shop along with all of my other original watercolor paintings.

SWIRLS OF ROSES 

Watercolor on yupo - 11x14 in

Etsy Shop

Painting on Yupo Paper

Yupo paper is a plastic, synthetic paper that is loads of fun to paint on. The watercolor paint sits on the surface instead of soaking in like normal paper, allowing the colors to stay bright and true and promoting a more painterly style.

Here are a few of my watercolors painted on yupo paper.

Sunflowers and Yupo Fun

SUNFLOWER FUN

Watercolor on yupo - 11x17

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Love, love, love working on yupo paper! It provides a slick surface for the paint to sit on, allowing for bright colors and a loose, painterly style. 

I used a light oil pastel to create line work on the yupo first. The oil pastel resists the watercolor paint which keeps the colors from running together and gives an added freshness to the piece.

Plastic wrap was placed on the background paint to create more fun texture.

Sunflowers on Yupo Paper

SUNFLOWER FUN

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x17

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Last month in my ongoing weekly classes we played around with painting watercolor on yupo. Yupo is a plastic paper with a very slick surface so the paint sits on the surface allowing for bright colors and a fun, painterly effect.

One of the techniques that we tried was first drawing on the yupo paper with an oil pastel and then painting in bold areas of color. While the watercolor was still wet, we put plastic wrap on top to create overall texture.

When we removed the plastic wrap it was time to paint some darks around the sunflowers and on the leaves for further definition. Such a fun method of painting and the results are unlike anything you would get on regular watercolor paper.

Art With Heart Newsletter for May

SWIRLS OF ROSES

Watercolor on Yupo - 11x14

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I just sent out my Martha Kisling Art With Heart Newsletter for May - a little late but still full of news, art and inspiration. For my Creative Corner this month I featured Swirls of Roses where I painted on yup paper. Yup is a synthetic paper with a slick surface which allows for all sorts of fun textures and a painterly effect. I even used stamps and bubble wrap!

You can check out this and more in my newsletter here

COLORFUL HEART and Watercolor on Yupo Workshop

COLORFUL HEART

Watercolor on Yupo - 8x10

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I will be teaching a Watercolor on Yupo Paper Workshop for the Greater Castle Rock Art Guild in Castle Rock, CO on Fri Oct 25. Yupo is a synthetic paper with a slick surface that allows for all sorts of wonderful  painting techniques. We will spend part of the morning playing with different techniques to apply paint, lift, roll, burnish, stamp, stencil and texture. Then we will use these for three different floral paintings. Pleasse contact me for more information and to register.

Sunflowers and Mixed Media Fun on Yupo Paper by Martha Kisling

SUNFLOWER FUN

Mixed Media on Yupo 11x17

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Sunflower Fun was one of my demo paintings for my Watercolor on Yupo Workshop last month. I used oil pastels on the slick yupo paper for line work that would resist the watercolor and then painted in bright, bold colors for the sunflower, leaves and background.

I used plastic wrap on the wet paint to create the fun texture in the background. When everything was dry I came in with darks to pull out and define the sunflowers.

You can see all the fun colors and texture created in this detail - painting on yupo paper keeps the colors bright and bold and provides a wealth of creative fun!

ROSES AND SWIRLS - Watercolor on Yupo Paper

ROSES and SWIRLS

by Martha Kisling

Watercolor on yupo - 11x14

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I painted this bouquet of roses on yupo paper - a synthetic paper with a slick surface that allows the colors to stay bright and true. This was the demo piece for my Fun With Flowers - Watercolor Yupo Workshop last month where we explored, experimented and played with painting on yupo paper. I used stamping to add to the playful nature of this fun painting.

 

You can see my workshop schedule for 2013 here

COLORFUL HEART Watercolor on Yupo by Artist Martha Kisling

COLORFUL HEART

Watercolor & Oil Pastel on Yupo 8x10

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I am still having a great time exploring all the creative ways to use watercolor on yupo paper. For Colorful Heart I combined oil pastel and watercolor for a mixed media look and went a little crazy with color. The pastel resists the paint, creating all sorts of fun textures - what creative exploring have you done lately?

Martha Kisling's Watercolor on Yupo Workshop

SPRING FLING

Watercolor on Yupo 11x17

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My Fun With Flowers - Watercolor on Yupo Workshop was a wonderful, creative day where we all played, painted and experimented with watercolor on Yupo paper. Yupo is a synthetic paper with a slick surface that allows the colors to stay bright and true and gives the artist all sorts of opportunities for exploring.

We painted, spattered, stamped, stenciled, lifted, sprayed, dripped and sponged our way through three floral paintings. As you can see in the photo above, we also used alcohol - rubbing that is - to drop in to the wet paint for a great textured look!