Studying Art Energizes Your Creativity

Studying Art

Energizes Your Creativity

I took a few weeks recently and went to workshops with various talented and generous instructors.  It was a dream to be in the company of so many people whose hearts and minds are preoccupied with making art.  

I made an effort to venture into realms I was not necessarily familiar with or comfortable with.  

Some artists take issue with me when I do this.  I have tried to share my excitement about new discoveries at times with some of my older and more celebrated art friends, and have been astonished at their complacency and disinterest in learning something new.  I literally had someone say to me," I don't need to know about that." ..."What in the world?!   How is it possible to be so comfortable?

When does one ever know it all?  

When does learning stop? 

I obviously subscribe to a different drummer.  New information and techniques excite me and stimulate me to work with them and experiment.  Perhaps working one way, and beating the same drum over and over is enough for some people, but I'm just not made that way.  That's why I think taking classes is so vital in my life.  I not only teach, but I study.  The way I look at it, when I quit learning, I will start dying.  The life of my mind is important to me, and that is not anything I wish to extinguish any time soon.  

The paintings on display here are some recent work born of my time spent in workshops this fall.  How exciting to be doing something new!  If you haven't taken a class recently, perhaps you might experience a similar sense of invigoration in your creative process by taking the time to absorb something new.  I'd love to see you in class and would welcome your contacting me for more information.  

Fall Color Inspirations

Driving down the road on my way back from inspirational workshops at Art of the Carolinas in Raleigh, I am struck by the beauty of fall and the colors which pervade nature at this time of year.

I am reminded that simply recording what is can be the best and biggest challenge of being an artist. However, being a painter can allow you some license to "improve on what really is". This process has also been referred to as "imagineering". I love the freedom I have as a painter to move things around and play with composition. Taking liberties to manipulate where things lie and how they interact in order to move your eye to where I'd like it to rest. This is the challenge and the gift to those of us trying to be artists...to go beyond what is to what could be.

I use Picasa photo editing quite a bit in my playing around with images. For example, look at the before and after images here. Before editing above. After editing below. As you can see, cropping and enhancing can make a very gray and boring photo into something spectacular. If you haven't ever looked into Picasa's photo editing potential, I encourage you to take advantage of this free and intuitive program. It's a google product and interfaces with with all Windows based and Android operating systems. I haven't had any real problems with Apple interface, but can't speak to it's user friendliness. I'll include a link at the end of this blog.

If you feel inspired to record the beauty of the season using a brush and paint, think about joining me in one of my classes this week. I will be demonstrating a lesson on painting fall foliage in my evening class on Wed. 11-14-12 at 5:30PM and again on Thursday in my new Open Studio class at 12:30 PM.  This new class begins 11-15-12.

Come celebrate the beauty of the season with me!

Here is the link I promised to download Google's Picasa Photo Editing software- I hope it helps you have fun and take your dull photos and make them into something inspirational!

Picasa download Link

 

Please contact me if you desire to use any of my photos for your own artistic purposes.   =)

Rebecca Zdybel
original watercolor
5.5 X 15

Rebecca Zdybel original watercolor 11X15

Rebecca Zdybel original watercolor
5.5 X 15

Rebecca Zdybel original watercolor
11 X 15

I'd love to hear from you so please leave a comment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist/ Art Instructor

Myrtle Beach, SC

A Tip from a great teacher- Easiest, Lightest and Cheapest Light Box Ever

This week has found me studying with a few of my favorite instructors at Art of the Carolina's in Raleigh.  I've learned so many fun new ideas, and studied Batik painting on Rice Paper with Kathie George today.  She is an impressively organized and talented teacher/artist.  I really loved her class!

In looking around her website, I ran across this article she wrote, and is it ever a great idea for a cheap and easy light box!  So great that I just had to share it.  Enjoy!



Kathie George /Watermedia Workshops: Easiest, Lightest and Cheapest Light Box Ever: 12 X 18 Batik on Rice Paper Painted from a photo taken in Collioure, France. Collioure is a lovely little harbor town in France...

Beginning and Designing an Abstract

Painting Abstractly

In our Wednesday class, we have begun a designed approach to abstraction.  Based on sound principals of design, and on a method taught by renowned artist John Salminen, we are beginning a journey into abstract painting.

How do you paint when there's nothing to paint?  

If there is no "subject", how on earth do you decide what to do?  

If you enjoy non-objective art or if you are simply looking to broaden your artistic experience, studying abstract art can be mind opening.  I would also predict it would make you a better designer of your objective work if you took the time to paint non-objectively.  Good design is the foundation of good paintings, whether or not we have a realistic subject to paint.

Tuesday Oct 16, 2012 We will begin an abstract painting that will take us a few weeks to complete.  If you'd to learn more about designing abstractly, come to class 12:30-3PM.  There is still room and I predict you'd enjoy it!  Contact me and I'll save you a seat, or just come to class on Wed. 5001 N Kings Hwy, Art and Soul Art Center and Cafe' in Myrtle Beach, SC

Exp!ore Watercolor and Acrylic Class- New!

Exp!ore Watercolor and Acrylic Painting Class with Rebecca Zdybel

Wed. Evenings Beginning Oct 3, 2012 5:30-7:30 PM

I am happy to announce that I will be forming an evening class beginning in October 2012.  In order to begin, I will need at least 4 students to make an advance reservation with the gallery.  This can be done over the phone 843-839-2727 or in person at Art and Soul Gallery, 5001 N Kings' Hwy in Rainbow Harbor next to the Melting Pot.  

Cost:  An individual class is $18.  A package of 6 classes brings the price down to $15 and essentially makes you a reservation for 6 consecutive sessions of class.  You may reschedule one class per package.  I recommend buying a package, since it guarantees you a seat and helps me to plan lessons.  I will be limiting class size so that everyone's experience is optimal.  Since you get a free class by purchasing the package, AND you may reschedule one missed class, you don't really lose money until you miss 3 classes out of 6.  Even then your price per class only ends up being $22.50.  In my estimation, the package really is the best deal.  

Supplies may be purchased through the gallery for $12 per class, or $7 if we are continuing a project from class to class.  This can be a very convenient way to avoid having to carry materials back and forth and a way to avoid a large up-front investment in something you may be uncertain about.  My supply list will be available if you wish to purchase your own materials in advance, but materials may sometimes need to be purchased from me at a nominal fee for specific class projects. On that occasion, I buy in bulk and simply ask you to cover my cost.  

Below you will find my new class description.  I encourage you to view actual student comments regarding their experience in my classes.  These comments are some of my most treasured possessions.  I really do love sharing what I know with the amazing people who have chosen to study with me.  =)  You may follow this link in order to read their comments:

 http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/p/comments-about-rebecca-from-actual.html 

It is my sincere hope that you and I may come to know one another better and share the journey of exp!oring art together.  

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Rebecca

Exp!ore Watercolor & Acrylic With Rebecca Zdybel

All levels welcome: Teens to Seniors

Class Description

Have you always wanted to try your hand at art, but didn’t know where to begin?  Are you an artist that has fallen into a creative rut?  Have you wondered which kind of painting style you should try? Are you curious about different water and acrylic mediums, but hesitant to explore them by yourself?   Have you wanted to experiment without the commitment of a huge investment in materials?  Are you interested in being acquainted with new surfaces or new techniques? Would you like to explore topics of interest to most artists?  This class might be the one for you!

Join me in exp!oring various water-based mediums and approaches to fun art projects that may stimulate your inner artist and re!ease  your hidden creative self.  I will make it easy, and together we will make it fun!  We will be talking about art, learning about different techniques and approaches to making art, sharing the journey with like-minded souls, and learning from one another in a risk free and encouraging environment. This is my goal for our class.  There will be no failures- just fun!

I believe strongly that we are all endowed with inherently creative spirits.  Some of us have had our creativity nurtured throughout our lives.   Others of us have been discouraged in that realm or had our creative spirits neglected due to the constraints of life.  I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late or too early to begin to explore the JOY of art. I’m a perfect example of coming to art late in life and becoming a late-bloomer.   It’s added so much to my life that I can’t wait to see the difference it can make for you as well!

Students can bring their own materials or purchase materials through the gallery for various art exercises and “projects of the day”.   I am always open to work on your own art projects while the class is in session, no matter what the subject of class might be.    Approximately once a month we will have “open studio” sessions. This will be a time when you can bring in unfinished pieces or work on something of your own choosing.  I will always be available for consultation and encouragement both in and out of class. 

My hope is to create a community and an environment where we can gather weekly to immerse ourselves in art.  I hope to expose newcomers to a variety of approaches and art concepts, and broaden the horizons of those who may be familiar with some aspects of art but curious about others.  Ideally, I’d like to let our class members have a role in determining what our lesson plans might cover. ..we will be in this together!  Though I will be the instructor, I fully expect your fellow students to also be a source of inspiration and learning for you, and for me. 

See the following page for some ideas for class topics.  I look forward to meeting you and having fun exploring the wonderful realm of art together!

Ideas for Class Sessions:

Painting on a collaged surface

Exploring composition through collage, abstract, and representational subject matter

Image transfer- different ways to take an image and transfer it to paper or canvas

Painting with Ink and Watercolor

Line and shape as compositional elements- what makes for a good shape or an interesting line?  Ideas for how to draw/paint them.

Sumi Brushes and other oriental brushes- what fun!

Using a mouth atomizer and other unique methods for paint/ink application

Exploring Yupo Paper- a relatively new surface which allows for interesting effects due to its non-porous surface

Painting on surface prepared with gloss medium

Thinking positively, but painting negatively:  This skill can separate the amateur artist from the professional

So you’ve completed a painting? What now? A checklist  and some suggestions for once you finish a piece.

Painting on an acrylic textured Ground

Saying more by doing less- see how wonderful paintings can be done in 50 strokes or less!

Rescue a Dog: Saving a lost painting with Collage

Making your own Collage papers- staining your paper in creative and unique ways

Painting on a colored ground

Making beads and using Fimo polymer clay for sculpting jewelry and various creations

Making acrylic skins for use in collage

Gesture Drawing: do your figures look “pasted on” or stiff?  Timed exercises in drawing.

Painting a figure in your landscape- Ideas to incorporate life into your landscape

Composition- Exploring various compositional styles and their varying impact

Abstraction:  How about a guided approach to coming up with a “good” non-representational image

Watercolor- Exploring tricks to making corrections, graded washes, color mixing

Creating an appearance of texture on your painting surface using stencils and various materials

Creating Funky Hearts in Watermedia- Make a great painting out of a crazy mixed up mess.  You’re going to love this technique so much that you’ll want to tackle many different subjects using the same approach

Funky Florals in Watermedia-  Make a great painting out of a crazy mixed up mess.

Funky Landscapes in Watermedia- Make a great painting out of a crazy mixed up mess.

Funky Personalized Crosses in Watermedia-  Make a great painting out of a crazy mixed up mess.

Funky Chickens in Watermedia- Make a great painting out of a crazy mixed up mess.

Exploring the Use of Elegant Writer Markers and Watercolor (never tried it? very cool!)

Exploring Acrylic Ink

Exploring the use of Acrylic lines as a “resist” with watercolor

Exploring Use of Masking fluid and other “resist” materials like crayons or pastels

Using the color wheel-  what’s the deal?

Painting with limited palette- Analogous color palette, Triadic

The importance of intention- In Art and In life what we do ideally should have an intention.  Exploring our intention and setting a goal for our paintings.  Ways to do this…

Focal point:  What’s the point? Where is it?  How to get the viewer’s eye where you want it to go.

Monoprinting with Watercolor and Ink- Simple and Fun way to shift your painting toward Semi-abstraction

What’s in your paint box?  Fun exercises to learn more about your paints, their properties, and how they behave.

Art Studio Make-over!

All journeys begin with a small step, right? My studio was a chronic mess. Part of me relished the ability to leave it that way, but on the other hand...too much mess was paralyzing to my process.

When you can't find the tools you need, it's hard to be productive.

The proverbial snowball began to roll down the hill a few months ago when I purchased a set of flat files on Craig's List. I thought it would be a great way to organize and store the many types of papers I use in my watercolor painting. When I got my flat files home and loaded them with things that needed a "place", it was the best feeling! I wanted MORE!!!!

I love organization...it gives my somewhat manic psyche a sense of peace and the ability to rest...

on the other hand, the best thing about having a studio is being able to leave it a mess. I go back and forth between my love of organization and my capacity to make a mess constantly. It's the yin and yang of my artistic existential experience.

My studio is in an ideal space...set apart from the house but located at home. It's spacious and I can leave it a mess. I LOVE THAT. The only problem is that it's on my 3rd floor...so lots of steps. The idea of organizing my studio began to become more appealing as the amount of materials grew. With the flat files in place, more storage seemed like a good idea. I had my son screw in some 2X2 furring strips from Lowe's. My hope was to get my pieces that were " in progress" off the floor. This did not work very well. I didn't like poking holes in the paper to tack them to the furring strips, and I couldn't find a good way to hang them without tacks.

After stalking Pinterest, I decided to put up some pegboard. I began by measuring my space. Then I went to Lowe's and got some pegboard. I had already attached 2X2 furring strips to the walls where I wanted the pegboard to go. When I got the pegboard, I had them cut it at the store to fit the dimensions of my walls. I decided to do 2 of the 3 walls that surround my work table. Then I began to shop for things use in order to hang stuff on the walls. OMG...so much to choose from if you are near an IKEA, but I'm not...I only had Lowe's. So I had to get a little creative.
Shelves were needed, but they couldn't be too heavy. I used long hooks to support small shelves...you can see them in some of the photos in this blog. Take my word for it...it works!

I wanted to spool ribbon, so I used dowels and a hook





I had all kinds of scissors to organize, so I stuck them here.





This is what I did with my Cricut and Cuttlebug. ( Note the gift portrait from Janet Rogers! A souvenir of time spent with an inspirational artist and lovely person. A reminder to myself of the generous teaching that I've been the recipient of...Thanks again Janet!)

Then came my art materials:

Acrylic Paints: I have them sorted into colors now and my brushes in general groupings of orientals (in the basket on the wall) and cheap/little brushes. My new awesome set of Isacryl acrylic brushes are sitting in the jar on the table...Love them!

Watercolorsand palettes: Note the fact that this is an Ikea table with a TV stand sitting on top. i have my watercolor paints in bags sorted according to colors again...
Collage papers- Hung in bags according to color families are hanging on a line in bags sorted into color families.

My cutting station is also pictured below: on top of my flat files

My work table- an old dining table we have had since we first got married supporting an old corian island countertop which we removed from our kitchen and just set on top of the table. I have covered the top with freezer paper and plastic. I have a step ladder near my right hand so I can set a palette on top of it or sometimes my water bucket will sit there.

This shelf holds some other things: stamps and Acrylic Mediums,Glues, fixatives, spray paints, gouache, oil and watercolor pastels, charcoal, etc.

This is a very important "note to self" about what to do prior to framing any piece of work...you'd be amazed (and I'd be embarrassed to admit) how many times I've gone to the frame shop and forgotten one or more of these steps.

The finished space- Overhead lighting from 4 canned lights and 2 Solatubes, since I have no windows. I also have 2 table lights for cloudy days or night-time work.

I am all about sharing what I've learned. It's one of the things I love about teaching...the opportunity to share the things others have shared with me. Nothing I know is original...it's all wisdom someone else has taken the time to share. If y

Feel free to share this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/ou're at all inspired or have some other great ideas to share with me, leave me a comment or pin this to your website or pinterest board! Happy organizing everyone!

Therapy or Art Class? I choose ART!

The "couch" or the studio?  

I choose ART for my THERAPY!

Having experienced counseling a few different times in my adult life,  I see the benefit when it comes to wading through periods of distress.  I've gained insight and would never discourage anyone from going to counseling if they felt the need.  However, it's expensive, and it can feel as if you are paying someone a whole lot of money to tell you all the things you're doing wrong.  Don't misunderstand, I think there is a place for self assessment and hearing hard truths.  There's a place for being held accountable.  But I'm not one to dwell on the negative.  If I hear it, and I experience that "aha!" moment, I don't need to keep talking about it for months and months in order to get it.  That's what extended therapy would be for me.

However, one of the things I have learned about myself as a woman, is that I'm not all that special or unique.  I'm not being self deprecating when I say this, I'm just observing that much of what I feel is very typical of other women.  My experience in being an art instructor allows me to interact with lots of women.  I do have some really wonderful male students, but for the most part, the majority of those who seek art classes are female.  I love women and find that the things which motivate them and make their hearts sing are usually the very things that animate and delight me.

I've come to see our classes as a shared safe space.  A place where confidences are shared, spirits are nurtured, and talents are celebrated.  It's a time to tune out the demands we all are subject to, and carve out a time to nurture ourselves.  It's the ultimate encounter group! I would liken it to ART THERAPY. It's my pleasure to be a participant in the process.  I feel honored to have the gift of my students' time...probably everyone's most precious commodity these days.  I try to honor that time by spending time to prepare and bring my best to each class.  I do this because I recognize that my students are essentially trusting me enough to pay for the privilege of dwelling in the space I create as a teacher.

In a good therapist's session I would expect to learn something about myself.  I would also develop a relationship based on trust, experience, and insight.  I would expect to be nurtured and challenged at times.  I would expect to be pushed a little...especially if it might help me overcome a predisposition that held me back.  I would hope that the process would instill habits of behavior that were healthy and perhaps find ways of operating which were more effective.  I would also expect to pay a lot of money for the experience.

I would argue that art class can accomplish all of the above...without the tremendous expense. I would also argue that you might make real friends and develop real relationships, rather than having a therapeutic relationship, where you may or may not even acknowledge one another at a party. The shared opportunity to encounter one another in class was described by one of my students recently as "exposing yourself". We all laughed, but that's not so far from the truth! When we create something, take a risk, or to try something that we may not be successful with...it can really feel risky and produce anxiety. We might not be great! We might not be perfect! What we make might not be beautiful! We might ruin that piece of paper. We might have to try it again. OOOohhhhh noooooo!

AS WE SAY DOWN SOUTH ; " DON'T BE SKERD"!  EXPOSE YOURSELF!

When I encounter things in life that are anxiety producing, sometimes I like to look at it this way:  What's the worst that can happen?  If I can find a way to deal with that prospect, then somehow the fear factor gets lessened and I can move ahead less anxiously.  I'm a positive thinker, but fear is a reality for all of us.  I believe fear is what shuts down the creativity which might reside in most of us.

Fear of failure is the reason we don't even try 

The beauty of failing in an art class, is that the worst thing that can happen is that you might have spent time on something you will want to try again, and if you do, you will be smarter for the experience.  I would also predict that the next time you tried it, you would improve. Who would expect to play a concerto on the piano without having to practice and perfect that performance?  Why should we be able to draw or paint without practice and instruction?  Art is a craft that can be taught.  Practice is necessary and poor results can be improved upon with practice. Mistakes can be redeemed.  That piece of paper can be washed clean, or you can use it as a collage element or apply gesso over it and use it again.  No failures, just opportunities to learn and grow.

If you've been thinking about trying your hand at art, then I encourage you to do so.  We have all kinds of great teachers at the gallery.  Find someone you feel safe with, and who can help you to explore your area of interest.  I predict you will come away joyful and on your way to a pursuit that will bring you happiness for years and years to come.  How many other activities can you pursue into your 80's and continue to excel?


My mom volunteers at a hospice facility and had an inspiring encounter the other day with a 95 year old woman who is a resident there.  This lovely old lady sat at the piano and played song after song, entertaining the staff and fellow patients alike.  She turned to my mom and had these words of wisdom which I will leave you with...

"You're never too old 

to learn something new!" 

Feel free to share this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

HOW TO MAKE COLOR SWATCHES! GET TO KNOW YOUR PAINTS

COLOR SWATCHES! 

Who knew they could be so much fun and so instructive?!

Do you have paints you have never used?  

Try this fun exercise and get to know your paints!

Ok, so if you're like me then YOU LOVE COLOR! In fact, I might actually be a bit of a paint tube junkie. When I have an order for art supplies, I confess that I will buy another tube of paint to qualify for free shipping. Sound familiar? I'm sure I'm not the only one... This habit has left me with lots of paints that I know very little about.

This week, I decided to do something about it. A few of my students are new to watercolor and have all new supplies. They are not at all familiar with the consistency or the color potential of any of their paints. I began to think about how I could help give them a way to "play" with their paints, and then I realized that I also needed to do some of this myself. So, I decided to make a reference tool and came up with this great idea for color swatches. Maybe you'd like to try it yourself.

Swatches seemed like a great idea...designers use them all the time for tools in making color choices. As artists, we are designers too. Ideally, our color choices should be thoughtful, and those choices impact the outcomes of our work. Once I decided that my goal was to make swatches for all my watercolor paints, I wondered what kind of information I should include on the swatch? After doing many hours of research, I basically realized how much I didn't know about my colors, and how much I SHOULD know when I use a color. I'll go into that information later.

HOW TO MAKE COLOR SWATCHES!  

I divided my full sheet of watercolor paper into rows of swatches that were  4 X 3.5.  Once the sheet was done I painted a black line through the middle of each rectangle by painting long lines of India Ink across the page with a 1" flat.  The same could be accomplished with black acrylic or a 3/4 flat.  This is how it looked.

The Ink Line provides a test for Transparency.  This transparency test lets you know whether a paint is opaque.  If it sits on top of the black line, then it is not transparent.  

Next I took tubes of one color and laid them out on the sheet to get organized.  I tried to put similar colors together near one another on the page.  Basically, you take a tube of paint, and put the information about that paint on the swatch with a sharpie or in ink.

This is the information I decided to include:

1. Manufacturer
2. Manufacturer Paint Name
3. Pigment(s) Number(s) and Name(s)
4. ASTM Lightfast Rating
5. Other Permanency info
6. Transparency Rating
7. Staining or Non/Staining
8. Warm/Cool 
9. Granulating capacity if known
10. Warnings or Stars if I loved the color

Now it was time to paint!  I took each paint tube and made a strong mix of paint on my palette. I wanted a dark wash for the first stripe...not pure paint, but a very rich dark version of the color.  After laying that down in a stripe which crossed the black line, I would rinse my brush and bring that brush full of water to the puddle and mix it in.  With that 2nd more diluted mixture, I would make a 2nd stripe of paint which was theoretically lighter value.  Again, I would rinse my brush, and bring another brush load of water to the puddle to dilute it even further.  With that puddle, I would make a very light value wash.  My 1/2 in Loewe Cornell one stroke brush was a great tool for this, but it isn't a requirement. Here is a representative swatch.

Note the transparency of this color is evidenced by how it "disappears" behind the black line. An opaque, semi-opaque, or semi- transparent color will be visible on top of the black line.  

Hint!

I would advise starting at the top of your page and moving down, so that the swatches above can dry while you work on the ones below. learned this the hard way and found that the wet swatches got in the way of my painting on the squares above them  (there was no place to rest my arm).

After your page is full it might look something like this

You could leave it this way and have a "chart", but I wanted something more portable. 

I cut my squares out using a cutting mat, a yard stick, an exacto knife and a paper slicer.

Once they were cut out, I punched holes with my cropadile and placed them on a ring.  

Then I arranged them according to color...going round the color wheel and trying to put similar colors together.  HINT- Color numbers are sometimes more reliable an indicator of hue than are color names.  

Voila!  A Rainbow of 

COLOR SWATCHES

Complete with everything I might need to know about any color at my fingertips!   If I want to order a color, I now have a ready reference for what it looks like and how it performs.  If I want to find a color substitute, I can find one easily.  I also have the pigment components identified in case I need to mix something similar. 

Notes on what I learned:

Along the way I found that some colors were wonderful to paint with...creamy, smooth performers, lovely to use.  Others were horribly weak, granular, or unappealing.  I made stars on cards of the paints that impressed me.  I made warning signs on paints that I hated or when the information I learned about them caused an alarm.  ( Warning if you use "Alizarin Crimson" and Colors with "Lake" or "Madder" in their names be sure to stay tuned for my next post!  You won't believe what I've learned!!)

Note that these paints have different names but the same pigment composition and similar color.

Why even bother with this?

Note that these very different colors all have the same name "Cobalt Violet"

1. First of all, I now feel so much more informed about the paints in my paint box!  It feels good to literally be able to say, "I've used each of these paints and maybe have some idea of what they can do!"
2. Second of all, I feel more informed about the materials I want to order and use in the future.  I have some idea of the difference between my Daniel Smith paints, and my Holbein and American Journey colors.  I did not find that one brand was better across the board.  I did observe how wonderfully the M Graham colors kept in the tubes...that honey that they use does keep them gooey for a long time, but they can feel sticky even when they dry.  I also observed that those colors with a permanency rating of less than excellent, were typically wimpier and sometimes even impossible to mix into a  strong wash (e.g. W/N Rose Diore')
3. I became familiar with some paint categories and qualities that I have an affinity for...(e.g. I love the quinacridones!!  They are transparent, and lovely and generally fall into the Excellent or Very Good Lightfast rating)  I am less a fan of the opaque colors, but now I know which ones these are (e.g. Cadmiums and Ochres)
4. Next time I order, I have a ready reference tool for what brand option or color I might want to reorder.
5. I also can use these swatches a teaching tool for students in class.  They are portable and beautiful to look at!

If you enjoy this, please leave a comment on my blog and/or subscribe to my posts.  I would love to hear from YOU!! 

My next post will go into greater depth on the meaning of the numbers and information  on your tubes and in the color charts.

The research I have done is both surprising and sometimes disturbing. 

For Example:  Warning if you Use Alizarin Crimson:

 Did you know that the primary pigment for ALIZARIN CRIMSON is FUGITIVE and known to fade?!!!
How did I not know this? DO NOT USE PAINTS WITH PR83 AS THEIR PIGMENT. (e.g. M GRAHAM's Alizarin Crimson) As much as I love M Graham, I cannot believe they market this pigment without a warning attached. The lightfast rating given to PR83 by some research indicates it could begin to fade in a matter of weeks if exposed to light!

More on this subject and other pigment information you need to know in future posts...
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Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/