The first painting posted here was created this week during a demo for the Western Ohio Watercolor Society, and it's on YUPO, painted with FLUID ACRYLICS. The second painting is on 140# rough Arches, with nearly the same scene from Venice and painted with Transparent Watercolors only. It was painted as a demo the day before for one of the weekly classes I teach. 
The result was two totally different moods just because the paper surfaces were so different. The quiet serenity of the Arches painting looks more like Venice looked when we were there last year. But, the YUPO painting feels more like I FELT when we were in Venice last year. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Each person will have reasons for liking one over the other. I'd love to know what you think.
"GRAND CANAL GONDOLIERS" Fluid Acrylics on Heavy Weight YUPO 21 x 15"
and
"GRAND CANAL GONDOLAS" Transparent Watercolor on 140#R Arches 21 x 13" COLLECTED
This is the painting before changes were made to unify it more - see comments for details of what was changed. THANKS to Kathy's good eye!
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10 comments:
Let's talk a little more about fluid acrylics on yupo.
I can see more intense color than watercolor on yupo but I want to know about the "handling". Do you think the fluid acrylic down more or use it full strength? I have not used fluid acrylic before and would like to know more about it. I bought a sample pack of DaVinci fluid acrylics (Deb Ward says she likes them) but I wonder if you have a favorite brand?
They are both beautiful and both are true to Venice in their own way. I understand why you think the Yupo is more the way you "felt"in Venice: with its texture, varied colors and lines, it forces the eye to move from one part of the painting to the other - as the tourist in Venice who looks from one spot of beauty to another.
The watercolor on Arches is more serene, more traditional, but as beautiful: a moment of magic frozen in time.
Ginny,
I prefer the fluid ac over w/c on yupo now because of the versatility they offer. I do dilute them with water almost all the time and apply them exactly like I do w/c. They of course will not lift with water when dry, allowing for some wonderful layering possibilities on YUPO. Try them out and experiment. They'll do nearly everything that w/c will do and lots lots more on YUPO.
I enjoyed your blog posts about your Florida adventures already. Happy painting.
I like them both Sandy, but the Arches painting is so soothing, an old world style I love.
The yupo carries the colors and stay so bright and vivid. hard not to love that!
I really like the second painting done on Arches. I think you achieved greater harmony in it than the one on yupo.
Christiane,
How will we ever have enough time to paint Venice and paint it fromour own viewpoint? I've been at it a year and feel like I've only just begun.
Thanks Dawn. I do like the quietness of the w/c one, too. And Kathy, the unity was certainly missing so I popped it out of the mat and changed it. I've posted the latest version in place of the earlier one and added the missing tower, too. Glazing over much of the painting with Phthalo Blue helped pull it together along with adding some tiny darks shapes placed randomly. It's a bit better now, with more of a sense of unity.
Oh you do give us some teezers to work over. How difficult can it be to make a choice , but being a born colourist I think it has to go to the fluid acrylics piece - then I think Oh that soft lovely calm water in the watercolour. For Ginny, you might like to note that my favourite soft acrylic manufacturer LIQUITEX have now brought out bottles of liquid acrylic and the colours are wonderful and pure enough to even use for airbrushing. Prior to purchasing these immediately available, I used MAGIC COLOUR. Both have the very useful stopper pipettes to dispense a droplet into a palette.
Thanks Sandy for the advice re use of liquid acrylics on YUPO - can't wait to play and sounds more practical - was worried when I sold two small unframed YUPOs worked in watercolour in case they got wet and smudged on the way home even though I sprayed them lightly with fixative!!
Both are beautiful -- but my favorite is the watercolor on arches -- more serene and calm. But then I have never been to Venice and I may change my mind when I find out how it 'feels' to be in Vencie :)
I must say that the Yupo painting is how I felt in Venice too! We had bright sunny days and that's what the Yupo painting says to me. The w/c painting is too blue for me, not vibrant enough. I love your tip on using liquid acrylics on Yupo, I can't wait to try it. I have used acrylic ink, though, and it's quite fun.
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