Welcome to Women in Watercolor’s blog newsletter, Women in Watercolor Working Together!
Each month we will feature one of our amazing members, introduce you to a few more and share advice from top artists!
Monthly Featured Member
Women in Watercolor would like to introduce our October Monthly Featured Member, Cindi Handy. You don’t want to miss her stunning work!
Cindi Handy
Cherry Plum Blossoms – 12″ x 21″
All About Cindi
My name is Cindi Handy and I have been painting with transparent watercolors since 2008. I have lived in upstate New York my entire life, and now reside at the foot of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, a constant source of inspiration for me. Art has always had an important place in my life. Beginning with oils, then acrylics, I finally found my true love in watercolors. The transparency of the watercolor paint, allowing other layers of color to show through, is what drew me to this medium.
After 10 years working as a graphic designer and illustrator, I once again picked up my paintbrush to pursue my own art. At that time, I also began teaching drawing and painting in the local elementary schools, which I did for about 8 years.
Today, I’m a professional artist devoting myself full time to my art.
Her Tips for Beginners
1. Choose subject matters that you are passionate about. All of my best paintings are of subjects that are important to me or inspire me. There is a story behind every painting I create. The more you care about the subject, the more thought and effort you will put into your painting.
2. Time and practice. No matter what the discipline, take the time to think about your art and don’t rush it. I will spend 1-2 months on a single large painting. And don’t be discouraged. Watercolors can be tricky. When I was beginning to learn to use watercolors and made a mess, I’d step back and find one thing about the painting that I did right. Every painting is a chance to learn something new.
3. I always have a scrap piece of watercolor paper next to my painting. I use it to test color combinations and write myself notes, at the end of each painting session, about where I should head next in the painting.
Market Joy – 16″ x 20″
Cindi’s Process
I work mainly from photographs. Once I find a subject to paint, I take many photos from different angles and under different lighting conditions. I then take the photos into Adobe Photoshop and crop them into various arrangements. Working from the final photo I select, I sketch out my design, making any changes where necessary. I use tracing paper, a light box, and a 2H pencil to transfer the final image onto my watercolor paper. Using a kneaded eraser, I gently lighten my drawing before I begin to paint. I work with a combination of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, building up several layers of paint on each section of the painting.
Cindi’s Materials of Choice
I use Arches 140 lb. cold press paper, Windsor & Newton Professional Watercolors, and a variety of brushes from Artec, Robert Simmons and Grumbacher. I also use Grafix Incredible White Mask (liquid frisket) and Nib, if I need to do any masking to preserve the white areas of the painting.
Step-by-Step “Vintage Spools” – 17.5″ x 23.5″
See more about Cindi Handy and follow her on Social Media!
See more work-in-progress photos and the evolution of Cindi’s paintings on her blog, which can be found on her website.
Follow her on Social Media and check out more of her gorgeous work!
WIW News
Don’t miss out on everything coming up!
WIW Members Only Exhibition
You do not want to miss our FIRST Annual Members Only Exhibition!
This will be a non-juried online only members show.
The Prospectus is up on the website!
Join the MAILING LIST at the bottom to get updates!
Entry opens November 1, 2023
Tips From the Top
Advice from incredibly talented watercolor artists.
Lynn D. Pratt
Graphite Transfer Paper Hack
Here is a quick tip video from Lynn D. Pratt on how to clean up the mess when you use graphite transfer paper.
Ok ladies, I’m pretty excited about this one. I figured this out a few months ago and I wanted to try it a few times to make sure it didn’t mess anything up before sharing it with you. I have tried it on multiple surfaces and it seems to work great every time!
Watch the video all the way to the end. It’s like magic!
For each of my painting tutorials in my online school I provide a line drawing for my students to trace to follow along with the videos. When you use the graphite transfer paper to trace the image, it makes a mess no matter what you do. This cleans it up in seconds!
Patreon Online School: https://www.patreon.com/lynndpratt
Materials in this video:
Saral Graphite Transfer Paper: https://amzn.to/3t7zNqo
There are many brands of transfer paper out there and I have tried dozens, this is BY FAR my favorite.
Kneaded Rubber Eraser: https://amzn.to/3sZQ40P
Remember do not rub these like a normal eraser, just blot with them.
Scotch-Brite Lint Roller: https://amzn.to/3PKSvwT
I have not tried other brands of lint rollers, so I don’t know if other brands might be too sticky or not sticky enough or might damage the paper, but this kind was perfect!
See more about Lynn D. Pratt and follow her on Social Media!
Meet More Members
Here are a few more members we would like to introduce you to this month! Click on their social media links to see more of their work.
Don’t forget to check out our Members Gallery to see work from ALL of our amazing members. If you are not a member yet, and would like to join us, CLICK HERE for more info!
Marilyn Wear
USA
Cindy Norrick Turner
USA
Lynn Parr
Ireland
Don’t Miss Out
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Women in Watercolor Working Together
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Edited by Lynn D. Pratt