Liquid Comfort :: Hot Cocoa

I was one of those kids who was actually envious of the kids with glasses and braces. I’m sure it would have been the other way around had I actually needed them, but I still think I would have looked awesome.

See the rest of the Liquid Comfort series here

Liquid Comfort :: BEER

This time around I did a flattering self-portrait. Lately I’ve taken up gardening, and typically the first thing I want after working outside all day, is an ice cold beer.

For all of these portraits I’m using Avalon watercolor paper. I’ve found it helps a lot in giving my feeble brush strokes a lot more character. Its a bit pricey, but when I used the cheap, lightweight stuff, I was constantly fighting with my materials and painting was anything but relaxing.

Liquid Comfort - Green Tea

Number 2 of my Liquid Comfort series! I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of how this watercolor stuff works. I’ve tried about 20 different brands of paper and its amazing how spending a little extra on good quality paper can make all the difference in the world.

Liquid Comfort :: Hot Soup

So I tried painting my Japanese folk tales in watercolor and failed horribly (I won’t be posting the results…I’d have to dig them out of the trash.) Through this frustrating experience, I’ve realized that I know NOTHING about painting! As much as I love digital, I REALLY want to learn the craft of painting on a real piece of paper, get my hands covered in paint, and end up with something I can hold (or that maybe people can hang on a wall) that I created on my own.

Since attempting to learn traditional art skills while doing complicated illustrations turned out to be a bust, I offer you the first of my new (much simpler) portrait series!