The Collection Paper From Hahnemühle

This past week I took a class taught by Tracy Weinzapfel where we worked on postcards. Small pieces of art that can be completed in thirty minutes or less. After making several of those cards, I downsized, successfully using the same ideas on some ATCs (2.5" x 3.5") and wondered if I could go larger also. This is the result. My first 'real' painting. 

I had never painted larger like this before and didn't really know where to start. So I went to Tracy's YouTube channel and watched this video. I took a few notes, then drew this while I watched Smallville on my iPad. Smallville ran for ten seasons back in 2001-2011. I recognize so many of the extra characters and bad guys as people I enjoy in series today. Weird. Hahaha! But it does create some good times to make art. And last night I drew the flowers that Tracy taught on the video. Next time I try this I will switch it up with flowers that I use for tangling. Something familiar. A way to combine the two styles. Drawn with an ultra-fine Sharpie because you can paint over this pen without your lines smearing. The paper is The Collection from Hahnemühle. Their newest offering. It's a watercolor paper and I chose the cold pressed to work with. 

I painted the background first. It could have gone either way. Mottled and marbled in appearance. I used seven different colors in my Schmincke set. And plenty of water to move things around. Mark said it looked weird, but I love it. I know I will get better at it each time. 

Then I painted the flowers, leaves and stems. It was more challenging than I expected. I think I would make that middle bud fatter if I did this again. Maybe not. Hahaha! Who knows! But I do really love the way this turned out. The Collection pages are roughly 9.5" x 12.5" and I thought that was too large for me. So I taped off the right hand side of the page. My paint space was roughly 4.5" x 7" overall. And I can paint another picture to the left of it on that same sheet of paper. 

Some final details added and some outlining.

And then just because I could - I added some white details. I just couldn't help myself. While I was painting the Tampa Bay Bucs won their game and are proceeding in the national championship. I am hoping Tom Brady gets to go to the Super Bowl with his new team and wins. Those silly Patriots should have held on to him. We moved to Maine from Florida and started cheering for the New England Patriots. Then they let Brady go and he went to a Florida team, so now we live in Maine and cheer for a Florida team. It is messed up. Hahahahaha! 

So. How did The Collection work for me? Perfectly! This pad of ten sheets is glue bound. That means there is glue around the edges holding all ten sheets together as a solid block, with a tiny opening at the top to slide a palette knife around to remove your page. But if you paint leaving the page in the glued pile and leave it attached until your page is totally dry - it dries flat. 140 lb. weight is a good weight anyway, but that glueing just adds a little extra for your dry time. I used lots of water - mainly because I didn't know what I was doing - and I had no problems. No pilling, no ruffling, no warping. And I am going to try to make another one today! After I make a little Zetti art. 

Tracy Weinzapfel's YouTube channel is here. 

Hahnemühle's The Collection can be purchased here. 

Schmincke watercolors can be found here.