Creating stencils for lettering a canvas

May 26, 2014February 2, 2017 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I finished adding the lettering to my cabana stripes canvas! I played with the layout on the computer:

Then I figured out the sizing of the letters and printed them on cover stock. Using an exacto knife, I cut out the letters. When there was a shape inside a letter I left a thin connecting strip (like on the letter b).

Creating the stencils was easier than I thought it would be. The transparent white was a little too light, especially on the yellow. The letters didn’t pop enough, so I added the brownish glow around them. I’m happy with the end result. Finishing is such a great feeling!

Painting a Figure (Little Girl Digging – Part I)

May 24, 2014June 6, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but I’m excited about this painting! I started by mixing a grey base color for my sand. I mixed thalo blue, cadmium red, and cad. yellow (as opposed to using black and white) because I wanted the sand to have color in it. I’ve struggled before with painting sand! I covered the entire canvas in this color, even where the ocean and little girl will be.

I added little ticks on my canvas to show where the grid is.

I mixed cad. red and white and added some cad. yellow to get a flesh tone, which I mixed with my base color. I wanted a color that would work as a base for the little girl, that wasn’t far off from my original (sand) base color. This way, I won’t feel intimidated to loosely sketch in the girl. Hopefully, I’ll easily be able to change any area “back” to sand if necessary.

Following the grid closely, I added in the shape of the little girl. I plan on flipping the canvas over and refining her shape (with the same color). As I start to feel confident in her shape, I’ll start adding colors that will define her and pull her out of the sand. I’m developing this process on the fly – wish me luck!

Starfish watercolor

May 22, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

Just playing around with watercolor and starfish. Very quickly I wished I was working from a reference photo – for the shape of the starfish, the details, the shadows. Lesson learned.

Cabana stripes on canvas

May 18, 2014February 2, 2017 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I painted these stripes and plan on adding the words “by the sea.” The stripes make me think bleached/weathered wood, beach, cabana. I was inspired by a small sign I have. I’m going to experiment with layouts and transparency on the computer. Once I have a layout, my plan is to print out the letters and make a stencil. I’ve never really painted letters before. I’m glad I can play on the computer before touching the canvas!

Here’s how I created my stripes.

I used a ruler, to make sure the stripes were somewhat straight. First I added the base color of the stripe.
While, the base color was still wet, I blended in a lot of white (to make it look bleached) and a little light brown (in streaks). I also added the a thin stripe of the light brown on the edges of the colored stripes.
I made the stripes different widths. I wanted it to look like different sized slats of wood

Read Part II – Creating Stencils to add lettering to a canvas

In a beachy kind of mood

May 15, 2014June 6, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I am really looking forward to summer. I’m a beach girl, so naturally I love painting anything that has to do with the beach.

Here are the steps I took to paint my crab:
1. After sketching the crab, I wet the background and added paint. I really love doing the background first. I think I feel more free to play with the watercolor, adding splotchy areas and even flicking spots on it. I tried hard to make it look like sand.

2. I worked on the crab, adding in the red parts on the claws and legs and the dots to the shell. It still needs work, it looks too flat, like it’s one with the background.

3. I added shadows under the crab and to the shell added shadows and more details.

I added even more detail to arrive at the final crab.

I was inspired by fellow blogger, Sara Gourley’s painting of a blue crab. I decided to paint one that looks like the kind of crabs we see at the beaches around here.

Painting outside :)

May 14, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I’ve been looking forward to this for a while – painting outside! We finally got a huge umbrella to cover the patio, so the other day, when the weather was beautiful, I grabbed my stuff and set up outside. Being outside gives me the opportunity to paint “live,” as opposed to from a picture, which is what I usually do. I think it’s harder and I need the practice.

Easy steps to paint a sunset sky and a tree in acrylic paints

May 11, 2014March 4, 2020 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

Start your creative journey with:

Creative Exploration: A Six Week Process for Introducing Regular Creativity into your Life – Develop a regular practice of creating, explore mediums and subjects in search of your thing, and experience the joy that creativity brings. Creativity is for EVERYONE! Talent is just a starting point.

Easy steps to paint a sunset sky and a tree in acrylic paints:

Select the colors you want in your background. I used six colors (see the list below). They can be straight from the tube or you can mix them.

Paint each area of color onto your canvas. I used foam brushes for the background.

Next, blend the areas where the colors meet so there is a softer transition from color to color. You may have to add more paint during this step.

Allow the background to dry.

Add the trunk of the tree and then begin adding the branches. Look at a tree. Notice that the branches get thinner as they get further from the trunk, and branches are not straight lines. Using thinner brushes helps with the thinner branches.

Add more branches until you achieve your desired effect.

Colors I used:

Cadmium Yellow Medium
mixed orange (yellow mixed with Cadmium Red)
mixed reddish orange (yellow mixed with Cadmium Red)
Magenta
Brilliant Purple
Deep Violet

I’d love to see your sunset painting!

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Easy steps to paint a sunset sky and a tree in acrylic paints

Wavering in my creative resolution (just a little)

May 6, 2014May 7, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I created a new banner to remind myself of some of the things I’ve accomplished in the last four months. I was wavering a little bit in my enthusiasm for my creative resolution, when my daughter said to me, “Don’t give up.” Why are 13 year olds so smart?! She is right of course. And I don’t want to give up. I just needed a little push and maybe a pat on the back. 🙂

Trying again – watercolor bird’s nest

May 5, 2014June 6, 2014 | Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

I’d like to know which one YOU like better. This second attempt at a bird’s nest or the one I posted the other day and labeled “overworked.” When I was done the second painting, I pulled out the original one and guess what? I thought it was better! I ended up adding more to the background of the new one. I’m curious what you think? Please let me know. 🙂