finishing two paintings? + a week in the studio | ART VLOG

Welcome to my weekly art vlog. Follow along in my week as I try and complete these two paintings. (SUPPLY LIST below) - Snippets of real-time painting and ponderings while I work through colors and composition. This is over the course of about 4 days in my studio. I also share why I use workable fixatif (fixative) as I work to keep watersoluable media in place before I do an isolation coat and then varnish.
SUPPLY LINKS: These are all supplies I actually use in my studio and recommend! (Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I may earn a small commission, but it won't cost you anything extra. Thanks for supporting my channel!)
•Degas Workable Fixatif (non aerosol, this stuff is awesome and doesn't smell, the pump on the bottle did break but I like filling up smaller fine spritzer bottles instead) - amzn.to/4ep3ZA4
•Krylon Workable Fixatif (super stinky but effective, do it outside or in a ventilated space and before you leave for the day) I try and do any aerosols right before I leave the studio - amzn.to/3zuyi9A
•Gamvar Varnish by Gamblin - I use the Satin finish, it's quite matte actually, but still brings a vibrance out in the paint. The matte is a too dull for my preference, and I typically leans toward matte, just not here. - amzn.to/47TKRrB
•I'm using acrylic paint & neocolor II wax pastels (i love these! i can wipe off if I don't like, use them like watercolor, super flexible) - amzn.to/3Y0xoej
my artist friend Alex Cole, here's her website - alexcolestudio...

[@Sarahgoldenart]

Have any questions about varnishing? I shared in the description what I'm using and I'm happy to answer any questions you have. For me, I'm highly sensitive to smell and fumes, so that really weighs my decisions on materials. Would you like a video on how I varnish and use isolation coats, fixatives, etc..? Thanks for supporting my channel ❤

[@HoneysVlog]

Oh, yes please. A video about that would be awesome. I finished some paintings and don't know how to varnish them. 🙄 I am a total beginner and the possibilities seem to be endless. 😊 Sunny greetings from Germany Anni 🌻

[@Sarahgoldenart]

@@HoneysVlog I've got it on my list of videos to make. Thanks so much. May I ask what kind of media are you using, acrylic? And on what, paper, canvas, etc... That may help me answer your questions. Thanks!

[@annelivingstonart]

i'm loving how these new shapes that you've introduced have given each piece of sense of spatial depth, almost like a staircase or hillside with plateaus, if you know what I mean. so pleasing!😍

[@Sarahgoldenart]

Yes! I can see it and I do love when a bold move on a painting works out! Thanks Anne!

[@JackieWolven]

Do you always paint a series,Sarah? And I always wondered how you hold the Neocolor twos without having them shift. I’ve only used them in my sketchbook. I would probably do more mixed media, but the varnishing and finishing of the work intimidates me.

[@Sarahgoldenart]

I paint in a series almost all of the time, mainly because I’m always working on multiple paintings. I like bouncing around to different paintings throughout the day/week. It does take a lot of trial and error with the mixed media, but I love the freedom and fun using it. My biggest tip is always get to at least the isolation coat before selling. Doing that after is stressful when a piece has already sold. Imagine the worst case scenario and that’s how I learned 😂 Thank you Jackie!

[@AllieMacArt]

Love the pivot and the finished pieces!❤ I’d like seeing how you work in isolation costs and varnish :) I use x2 clear coat to seal my charcoal drawings before going into acrylic but I usually don’t seal anything else until I varnish at the end… is that just for the Neopastels?

[@Sarahgoldenart]

I’ve got this video topic on my list! It kinda depends what you’re using. Sometimes I’m using certain colors of say Acryla gouache and that’ll bleed, some pencil or inks. But I have an extra reason I use an isolation coat that actually can be left as a final topcoat. I don’t do the final varnish until I sell a painting, so with an isolation coat/topcoat that’s still workable I can touch up or even paint over it later without the pain of removing varnish. That’s how I do it.

[@jo.dumpleton]

Hi Sarah, thank you for your brilliant content. As a former pencil artist transitioning to paint, I'd love more info on your choices of colour as it's something I'm finding quite overwhelming. How do you choose which colours will work well together? Do you have a limited palette and mix from there? These are the things I would love to know! :) All the best, Jo x

[@Sarahgoldenart]

Thank you so much Jo, glad you're enjoying my content, I appreciate your encouragement! As for color, I may just have to make a video on this, it's a big convo. One thing I like to do is save photos, take screenshots of things where the colors just speak to you. Save them in a folder. Doesn't matter what the subject is, it's the noticing that's important. How colors react next to different colors, the amount of each color, it's all a magical recipe. Building that intuitive feeling is key and then practicing color mixing. I premix a lot of colors and use bottles to put my mixes in, because I'm impatient when i'm painting and don't always want to mix, but it's also helpful to have some colors that you love and ready to use when you want. Hope that helps! Thanks Jo!