PL McGahan Art

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PL McGahan Art

PL McGahan ArtPL McGahan ArtPL McGahan Art
  • Home
  • Winter Zoom Grebe 2026
  • April Zoom Art 2026
  • May & June Zoom 2026
  • Work in progress
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May & June Zoom 2026

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS: Color intensity, wet&dry media MAY 5th and 19th on Zoom

This  month I want to focus on a few Spring favorites.  I love seeing the  fiery colored dianthus as it pops through the low intensity soil and the  dry remnants of last autumn’s leaves. 


I also love Spring Asparagus—to admire its delicate color and form, and also to eat! 


In  each of these subjects I want to emphasize the intensity contrast of  pure color against low intensity.  Using contrasting media in these  paintings, both dry and wet, will hopefully enhance the beauty of each  subject.



Media

MEDIA OPTIONS INCLUDE watercolor paint, watercolor pencil, and graphite pencils including H or HB and 2-4H.

ASPARAGUS

WATERCOLOR PAINT:Aureolin, Quinacridone Gold, Winsor Blue Green Shade, Sap Green, Cobalt Violet

WATERCOLOR  PENCIL*: Cream, Light Yellow Glaze, Light Green, Permanent Green Olive,  Olive Green Yellow, Raw Umber, Middle Purple Pink, Red Violet, Light  Cobalt Turquoise

DIANTHUS 

WATERCOLOR  PAINT: Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Pink, Cobalt Violet, Alizarin  Crimson, Sepia, Burnt Sienna, ***NOTE: I forgot Aureolin in the swatch,  but I used it.

WATERCOLOR  PENCIL*: Pale Geranium Lake, Prismacolor watercolor pencil Carmine,  Derwent watercolor pencil Madder Carmine, (possibly?)Crimson, Light  Purple Pink, Middle Purple Pink, Raw Umber, Burnt Ochre, Inktense Dark  Chocolate

*All watercolor pencils are Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils unless indicated.


wcp asparagus #1
asparagus wc #7

Watercolor Pencil and Watercolor Paint Asparagus Paintings


#1

Asparagus spears initial steps from top to bottom.  The bottom spear just needs finishing details and “crisping”. 

Our drawing and first layer of the background immediately after class 


EASTERN BLUEBIRD PAIR

June 2nd and 16th on Zoom $25 for the 2 sessions together

 A  charming photo by Chase D’animulls is so cheerful I can’t wait to paint  it with everyone!  This bluebird pair is ready to nest, making their  home in a rustic wooden bird house.    

As with May’s paintings, this will rely on the contrast of the beautiful bright blue of the bird against the weathered wood.



bluebird #1
2482

Partially completed bluebird painting





swatch1

MEDIA  WATERCOLOR  PAINTS: Cobalt, Light Red, Aureolin, Sap, Winsor Blue Green Shade,  Winsor Blue Red Shade, Sepia, Scarlet Lake, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt  Sienna

                WATERCOLOR PENCILS: Cold Gray IV, Warm Gray I, Sky, Burnt Ochre, Cobalt  Blue Greenish, Helioblue Reddish, Sky, Inktense Sea, Inktense Bright  Blue, Inktense Sienna Gold, Terra Cotta,  

 Earth Green Yellow, Derwent Watercolor Pencil Chocolate


ADDITIONAL MEDIA INFORMATION

Below  I have listed my basic watercolor paint palette and my most used  watercolor pencils.  There is absolutely no need to have so many paints  or watercolor pencils.  I’m just including this list because someone was  interested in purchasing a few watercolor pencils at a time and wanted  some suggestions of ones I tend to use.  If you’ve taken several classes  you will probably recognize some of these are ones I use more than  others.



 

Some Favorite Watercolor Paints

Aureolin,  New Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold (or Raw Sienna, which is less bright),  Burnt Sienna, Sepia, Light Red, Sap Green, Phthalo Green, Cobalt Blue,  French Ultramarine, Winsor Blue Green Shade, Winsor Blue Green Shade,  Cobalt Violet, Indigo, Alizarin Crimson, Quinacridone Pink, Quinacridone  Red, and Scarlet Lake 

These aren’t necessary but sometimes are nice: Scarlet Pyrol (M. Graham brand), Azo Orange (M. Graham brand)


Some Favorite Watercolor Pencils

*Note: all are Albrecht Durer by Faber-Castell unless indicated 

Cream,  Light Yellow Glaze, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Scarlet, Pale  Geranium Lake, Light Purple Pink (or Fuchsia), Venetian Red, Derwent  watercolor pencil Madder Carmine, Inktense Poppy, Middle Purple Pink,  Red Violet, Purple Violet, Light Ultramarine, Light Cobalt Turquoise,  Ultramarine, Dark Indigo, Helioblue Reddish, Inktense Sea Blue, Inktense  Bright Blue, Dark Phthalo Green, Earth Green Yellow, Permanent Green  Olive, Olive Green Yellow, Chrome Oxide Green, Inktense Apple, Raw  Umber, Burnt Ochre, Inktense Baked Earth, Inktense Bark and/or Inktense  Dark Chocolate.

PL McGahan Art

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