Color Archives - Page 6 of 10 - Peony and Parakeet

Bright and Decorative Art Style

Posted on April 8, 2020April 9, 2020Posted in Art Journaling, Color, History, Home Decor, Visual Voice / StyleTagged gouache, watercolors10 Comments

Hand-painted traveler's notebook journal covers by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

This week, I needed colors that are so sweet that they almost taste on the tongue! I found a little watercolor notebook from my paper stash and made a gouache painting on the covers.

Painting the Covers

I used a limited palette of gouache paints – pinks, reds, and greens, and made pastel hues by mixing them with white.

Using gouache paints on an art journal. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

After painting the background, I filled the covers with decorations.

Painting journal covers in a decorative art style. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and parakeet.

Making all the little dots and lines was both calming and refreshing. The darkness of the world faded away!

Painting details in a decorative art style. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and parakeet.

Here’s how the covers look when the journal is closed. Isn’t that sweet?!

Hand-painted traveler's notebook journal covers in a decorative art style. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Inside: Decorated Papers and Flowery Shapes

I also decorated an inked paper and taped it on the inside of the cover. Flowers are easy to make with colored pencils!

Making a hand-decorated paper by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet

I also combined gouache paints and colored pencils and made a mixed media drawing on the opposite page.

Traveler's notebook art journal spread by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet. Creating in a decorative art style.

Inspiration from the Movie Emma

A couple of weeks ago, I watched the movie called Emma, and the beauty of it blew my mind. I love Jane Austen’s stories and had planned to go to a movie theatre to watch it, but they closed. Fortunately, it became available on iTunes, and within 48 hours of the renting period, I was able to watch it twice! I have always enjoyed examining decorative tapestries, furniture, clothing, and such, so I took my time, especially on the second time, stopping the movie now and then just to admire the beautiful sceneries, interiors, and dresses.

Art Inspiration from Jane Austen. Harriet, Emma's friend. By paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Here’s Emma’s friend Harriet and all kinds of decorative elements from my imagination.

Decorative Art Style – Fun to Design, Fun to Paint!

This year, I have been practicing pattern design, trying to make at least one pattern per month. I have used my watercolor paintings as an inspiration.

Surface pattern design, ideas from original art. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

These design ideas go back to my paintings as well. I have really enjoyed making them more decorative now.

Watercolors on an art journal page. Creating in a decorative art style by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

I feel like I am connecting the dots between the many styles that I am fond of. It’s like William Morris, Marimekko, and decorative Russian metal trays are coming together. My detailed style to draw and the intuitive style to paint seem to integrate, and it all feels so effortless and fun. I am going to do more of this kind of decorative art style projects – I hope they inspire you too!

Related Blog Posts

>> From Art Journaling to Pattern Design
>> Paint Your Mental Images – Love for Russian metal trays
>> 8 Style Tips from the Students of Peony and Parakeet – William Morris inspired art journal spreads

Bloom and Fly – Sign up for My Classes!

Paint Spiritual Energy – Step by Step!

Posted on March 25, 2020March 25, 2020Posted in A Step by Step, Art Journaling, Color, Portraits & FacesTagged acrylic paints, dylusions creative journal16 Comments

Paint spiritual energy! Art journal page by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet. See her step-by-step instructions!

When there is a big crisis in the outer world, it’s important to protect and strengthen the inner world. In this project, we paint spiritual energy with loose strokes, continue it to form a face, and then add a protecting frame around the painting. I find this project soothing and healing. I hope it makes you pick the brushes again too!

A) Where to Paint?

I have made these paintings on my newest art journal which is a black Dylusions Creative Journal. It is my third Dylusions Creative Journal, and I really like this product. It’s durable, the paper is thick, and it can be closed with an elastic band.

My first two Dylusions Creative Journals were large ones, but the newest one is a bit smaller, the page size being 8 by 8 inches.

The links above are Amazon.com affiliate links to product pages.

Dylusions Creative Journals with decorated covers

Watch the flip-through videos of the first two art journals! See these journals in practice and to get more inspiration:
Journal 1 Flip-Through
Journal 2 Flip-Through

B) Collage or Painting?

This project can be made as a painting or as a collage where you paint the figure separately from the rest of the image.

When I did this project the first time, I made a collage. I painted the profile on a paper, cut it out, and glued on the art journal page, and then continued painting the background and adjusting the facial features. In the photo below, the white line shows how I cut the face.

If you choose the collage technique, it’s good if the paper is not too thick. I used Bristol paper, which is fairly sturdy but thinner and easier to attach than thick watercolor papers.

C) Pick the Colors that Bring Energy!

I painted the second version directly on an art journal page.

Both versions have a limited color palette. By picking only a few colors, they come alive and express energy more effectively than if you work with all the possible colors. So, choose the colors that energize you – that you feel drawn to at the moment.

I recommend choosing three different tubes of acrylic paint and adding white to the mix as well. If none of your colors is dark, pick black or another dark color so that you get a strong image with good contrasts.

For the first version, my colors were these (+ Titanium White):

Choosing a limited color palette. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet. Golden Heavybody Acrylics.

For the second version, my colors were these (+ some Mars Black for finishing)

My acrylic paints are Golden Headybody Acrylics.

D) Paint Spiritual Energy!

Let’s create some abstract art! Use selected colors and paint with horizontal strokes. Mix white to get lighter strokes and make muddy mixes to get tones that make the pastels shine. Enjoy the colors and making most of the narrow selection.

Starting a painting with horizontal strokes and limited color palette. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

If you paint directly on a page, mentally divide the page in half, and paint on the other side only. This way, you will have enough room for the face.

E) Sketch the Face!

Pick a pencil and sketch a profile. You can adjust it later by painting, so focus on the location of the face more than the actual look. I used a white pen in the photo below so that you can see my sketch clearly.

F) Draw a Frame!

Take a round object, for example, a plate, and draw a protective frame around the person.

Drawing a frame around a portrait. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

G) Paint the Face!

Paint the skin and facial features. Instead of outlines, paint shapes. Allow yourself to be more unconventional. Don’t paint bright white scleras or red lips but shapes that connect the person with the abstract part of the painting. In this project, the energy that the strokes represent is more important than the person herself.

Painting in progress. See all steps of this project! By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

H) Paint the Background!

Surround the person with everything that soothes and heals. At this point, it can be just subtle strokes that will be more defined later, when you finish the painting.

Making a spiritual painting. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Paint the frame too. Use muted colors so that the frame doesn’t take the energy away from the person.

Painting an art journal page with acrylic paints on a black paper. Dylusions Creative Journal. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

I) Finishing: Give Her All the Beauty She Needs

Paint details with a thin brush so that she will get all the softness and beauty she needs. Again, prevent using intense colors for the details on the background.

Painting details with acrylic paints. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Connect her forehead with the beauty so that she is in the middle of the energetic strokes and more delicate and soft fillings.

Spiritual energy with acrylic paints. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet. See her step-by-step instructions!

I also added some decorations on the frame.

Less Control – More Energy and Expression

Art is freedom! In this project, we started with wild strokes and then built a portrait around them. These kinds of less-controlled uses of supplies are an important part of self-expression.

On Thursday, March 26, 2020, I will be talking about doodling and how to expand it to various supplies and styles in my art community Bloom and Fly. The session will be recorded too. If you have bought my class this year, you are invited! I have sent an email to the members yesterday.

How to join Bloom and Fly for 2020?
>> Buy any of my classes!

The Power of Boredom

Posted on January 23, 2020January 23, 2020Posted in Artistic Identity, Color, Digital, Fantasy, Paper Collage, Visual Voice / StyleTagged software, watercolors16 Comments

When I was a child, my most prevalent feeling was boredom. It felt like childhood was a long wait for things to happen, life to start. I was at the mercy of others and dreamed of the time when I could do it all by myself.

Moments of boredom are necessary for creativity. Digital collage made of hand-drawn and hand-painted elements. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

At that time, in the 1970s, there was no iPad to keep me company. Instead, I often grabbed the only picture book from the shelf where my parents kept their books. It was a softcover book about old paintings. I was staring at Monet and Manet while my mother cooked us dinner. The book wasn’t big, and the images were small. But this way, culture was introduced to me at a young age. Having this one book on the shelf, my parents unknowingly affected my life’s journey.

I was browsing the book in a colorful living room.

It had yellow, orange and red textiles and a grey sofa. Later, the colors were changed to warm green, and brown. It was all fine before my mother bought greyish mint green curtains. She was exhilarated about the color and kept talking about how well mint green fitted with the rest of the decoration. I, in turn, was in shock – cool green doesn’t fit with the warm tones! Every time I was in that room, the curtains made me feel uncomfortable. I waited for the day to pick my own palette!

Enjoying colors. Digital art made of handpainted and handdrawn elements. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

My sisters were living in a red room. It also had white, so it was quite cheery, but I didn’t like the colors. Even the table had a red frame, and it bothered me quite a bit. When my sisters moved away, and the room became mine, my parents traveled to the nearest big town Joensuu to buy new wallpaper. And when they came back, surprisingly, my father, who never had anything to say about the colors, had chosen little yellow roses! “Aww … everything has to be changed to yellow now!” I cried. My mother agreed. They bought curtains that had yellow flowers, a yellow clock, a carpet that had yellow and brown, and sunny yellow bedcovers for the two beds that the room still had.

Back to childhood. Watercolor painting and a photo of a clock. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and parakeet. — *I still have that clock!*

I was thinking about these colors all the time.

Did everything match? What I liked and what I didn’t like? I assumed that all people were similar, contemplating their color choices, walking around their homes, thinking about the tint of the curtains.

Digital art made from handpainted and handdrawn elements. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

My first art book got abandoned when I started using the local library. It had huge books filled with master paintings. For years, I sat in the library and waited for my life to begin. I admired the colors, and Picasso and Matisse became my favorites.

Boredom increases creativity. Digital art that uses hand-painted elements. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

At a young age, I knew that green is not only green. It could be muddy green or mint green or something between. And when I was accepted in the local icon-painting group, I also learned that there can be a strictly defined range of tones. It was so satisfying when my teacher told me that I had produced not only an acceptable but beautiful blue for the background. We all used the same amount of the same pigments, and still, every one of us had a slightly different blue. Amazing!

Digital art from hand-painted elements by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet. Read about how her childhood affected her art!

When walking to my home from a group session held at the cellar of the nearest church, I looked at the dark starry sky and admired its deep shade against the white snow. The number of colors that I was able to see was growing all the time.

Illustration by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

All this seemed insignificant back then.

I was just filling the moments of boredom while waiting for my life to begin. And then, finally, I grew up, moved away, went to study, met my future husband, got a dog and a good job, built a career, bought a house.

But when I am creating, these events feel less important. Instead, I want to get back to those childhood years trying to remember every single dull moment and detail, including the tone of my yellow bedroom. I am dependable on that boredom. It defines me as an artist. Everything genuine and sincere in my art can be connected with my childhood, with the age of boredom.

Leaf Chapel, a watercolor painting by Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet

Does your childhood show in your art? Do you aim for the images that you see other people create, or are you geared to finding your own? This is one of the carrying themes in Lesson 2 of Magical Forest, starting on February 1st.

Hop along! The class ends at the end of April, and you will get Lesson 1 right after the registration. >> Sign up here!

Intuitive Painting in 60 Colors of Arteza Gouache Set

Posted on September 19, 2019September 19, 2019Posted in A Step by Step, Color, VideosTagged gouache10 Comments

"Refresh", a gouache painting using all 60 colors of Arteza gouache paint set. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Paint with me! This week, I have a video tutorial of making an intuitive gouache painting with Arteza Gouache set.

Arteza gouache paints, Arteza water brushes, Arteza watercolor paper.

In addition to the gouache paints, I also use Arteza water brushes, Arteza watercolor paper (mine is A4 from Arteza’s UK store, but here’s the link to the similar paper in the US store), and Arteza Fineliner. These supplies are all donated to me by Arteza (US Store, UK store). You can get 10% off with coupon code peonyandparakeet1. This coupon is valid till Oct 25th, 2019.

Intuitive Gouache Painting – Watch the Video!

Gouache Comparison – Arteza vs. Schminke

Arteza’s gouache paints are very affordable compared to artist quality paints. I have few tubes of Schminke Horadam Gouache paints, and with the price of 60 colors of Arteza, you can only get a few tubes of Schminke!

But of course, there are differences too. Schminke, manufactured in Germany, has a higher pigment level than Arteza, manufactured in China. These tubes are both Burnt Sienna, but Arteza’s color is much more pastel and creamy.

Comparison of Arteza gouache and Schminke Horadam gouache paints.

Most of Arteza’s colors have names that are not pigment names. They describe the tone very well and sound tempting, like “Blush Pink.” But if you have used to dealing with pigments and their individual qualities in transparency and archival quality, it can feel frustrating. If pigments are individual spices, Arteza’s gouache paints like spice mixes – easy to use for beginners, but a bit joyless for professional cooks.

The differences between these paints are small, and it requires an eye for nuances and experience on pigments to notice them.

When painting, Arteza’s creamy paints are like family vehicles, easy to maneuver. Schminke’s gouache paints are more like sports cars, quick to react with water and more suitable for fine brushwork.

Traditional vs. Acryl Gouache – Reacting to Water

Some gouache paints are marked as acryl gouaches. It means that they are not opaque watercolors as gouaches normally are, but translucent acrylic paints. I had some Turner acryl gouaches (made in Japan), and you can see the difference below. Unfortunately, I didn’t have similar magenta tone, but the color doesn’t matter when testing how the dried layer reacts to water. Both Arteza gouache and Schminke Horadam bleed, Arteza a little more than Schminke. But acryl gouache doesn’t bleed at all!

Comparing traditional gouache to acryl gouache. Arteza, Schminke, Turner.

Bleeding is not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, I prefer paints that bleed because I often like to remove color in later stages.

A detail of Paivi Eerola's gouache painting. Painted with Arteza gouache paint in 60 colors.

Bleeding wasn’t any problem when making this painting either. I used both thin and thick paint quite effortlessly.

Finnish artist Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

I hope you enjoyed the video, and let’s keep creating!

Let’s share the passion of creating art!
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Category: Color