Techniques To Loosen Up My Art: Two Different 'Splodge & Scribble' Style Mixed-Media Paintings

A quick sketch on a bumpy train, and a more deliberate attempt to loosen up my art by letting the element of chance dictate the earlier stages of another variation of a 'Splodge & Scribble' painting.
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Talens Art Creations Sketchbook, Pink 12cm:
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Daler Rowney FW Acrylic Ink Range:
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Himi Gouache Twin Cups 48 Set:
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Silicone Paint Brush Set:
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Princeton Catalyst Range:
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General's Charcoal Pencil Range (I used the Soft, and the White):
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Shuttle Art Tempera Paint Sticks x20 Pastel Set:
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Shuttle Art Tempera Paint Sticks x32 Set:
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[@helencryer]

In case you're interested, Princeton Catalyst Tools are currently on offer at Jackson's Art: www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=79140&awinaffid=1662469&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacksonsart.com%2Fprinceton-catalyst-wedge-silicone-painting-tools

[@kymcrowart7876]

So beautiful. I love watching your process

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@lynnesanders8025]

Wow Love the red underfloor of the ink

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@jacquiwilmot7802]

Absolutely stunning Helen! Almost like an old Impressionist picture, lovely!

[@helencryer]

@@jacquiwilmot7802 ☺️ Thanks so much!

[@janemcgrath9615]

I especially liked the first painting,just loved the sky and the sea…well all of it actually! 😊 …. and the second painting….all those layers were just brilliant,you have such a creative imagination, yet another inspiring video.🙏

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much!

[@nottaholiday]

Thank you again for such a lovely session. The second piece really inspires me ... Thanks for letting us play.

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much!

[@jlhyndman]

Helen! Wow your art style is really developing into something special. I’ve been reading a lot of art books recently and I like your projects as much as those I’m reading about from 100 years ago. Lovely soft results.

[@helencryer]

That is such a compliment - thank you!! ☺️

[@terrilikens4975]

I really enjoyed this one! We all could benefit from trying new things.

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@msand43]

Wonderful art created today ! Well done Helen !

[@helencryer]

@@msand43 Thanks ever so much!

[@lisaharner3720]

Wow Helen! I am inspired by your layering of different media. You tie everything together so well. And you are getting that looser style!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! The layering one really made me happy to do!

[@jlm517rocks]

Wow helen... yr best yet... just wonderful.

[@helencryer]

Thank you! 😊

[@MayaDrawingArt]

This artwork is amazing 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 8:50

[@helencryer]

Thank you!!

[@angelika3260-l2p]

Goodness - that is amazing. I love your creativity and watching your processes - thank you so much 🙂

[@helencryer]

Thank you!!

[@twisteddyekitchenmyfiberjo4577]

Oh my goodness, I just loved your "Play time". the painting is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, your newest fan:)

[@helencryer]

Awww, thanks ever so much!!

[@StudioGriffel]

Beautiful! Great to see you paint!

[@helencryer]

@@StudioGriffel Thank you!

[@racechick2033]

Wowser! You are gaining confidence and I love how you are doing. This painting is fabulous, good job Helen! I'm planning a play day soon to just mess about with paint. Thank you! 💕 😊

[@helencryer]

This was honestly so much fun, and left me feeling happy and that it's closer to what I'd like to achieve. I'm very excited for you!!! Keep going with the house!

[@melissaamyx2196]

This turned out so pretty! I love it!

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@joannrabideau1657]

Your painting looked amazing. You make it look so effortless.

[@helencryer]

Thanks so much!

[@malloryhennigar2904]

Absolutely love the style you achieved with this one! The silicone brushes are really interesting 👀

[@helencryer]

Thank you!

[@diannedupuis2960]

Love the artwork you created!

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@Samantha_tookey197]

You really are a magician with brush and pencil! It’s stunning! ❤

[@helencryer]

Thank you!!!

[@beedee4427]

Love how much depth and texture the sky has to it with the underpainting "glowing" through. Really makes all the difference. Also love that you threw everything at it and it all worked! So bold with your silicone tools, esp with Gouache. I honestly dream of doing moves like that but ..........😕. Probably because I mainly do portraits 😁. Oooh, also love that you put those loose pops of brights in there, changed the feeling of the piece. You're not going to believe this but I've literally just been handed (still stuck in bed) a Jacksons package containing 20 more Neocolor IIs 😎. All is right with world! Thanks for another fun vid. Have a great week x

[@helencryer]

Thank you! I'm really taken with this underpainting idea - it feels like cheating, because there's no planning involved! Using the silicone tools really makes me happy - they feel very natural. I'm sorry you're still not doing great, but that sounds like a deeply delicious package!! I hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself with them!

[@paulineshelley4421]

I like both of your paintings, particularly the first one which has some lovely textures and is not too fussy. I don’t want to say ‘simple’, because it sounds a bit derogatory, but you do the splodge and scribble so well. I like the loose simplicity 😊❤

[@helencryer]

Thank you!!

[@SewArtyAnna]

Just beautiful Helen

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Wonderful. Love the sky especially but also the subdued tones. I usually go for strong colour myself and it’s good to remember that softer tones/contrast is beautiful too

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much!

[@FaithAnnNB]

Beautiful! Using the silicone “brush” tool for so much of the painting, really encourages you to take a different approach… it turned out great!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! The silicone brush just felt so good!

[@suzannemarshall7458]

Fantastic. I wish I could get myself to try layers. So inspiring

[@helencryer]

I think if you know you have at least semi-opaque mediums to go over the top, then you can just relax and enjoy, because it's all fixable!

[@jude6752]

Wow Helen, I do not understand how you do what you do!! I loved the St Malo one particularly - and all that *stuff* you put underneath.....it seems that see something you'll be putting downin future layers long before your work even really takes shape!🥰

[@helencryer]

Thanks! There was no planning involved - I'd no idea what photo I'd choose when I did the early ink layer - I think the idea of an under layer is just to add more visual interest later on, and stop me being so rigid.

[@Everywhere2]

Splendid work. I particularly like the layering in the water and reflection of the boat. The silicone tools took you a little into the zone of cubism, which I quite like, and that suited the subject and mood very well. That the Himi gouache paints aren't as pigmented as tube gouache turned out to be an advantage!

[@helencryer]

Thank you! I can't say I know anything about cubism, so I'll take your word for it! Yes, I think the Himi gouache definitely have their place.

[@TerriChannel]

I loved seeing your paintings and hearing your thought process. You really amaze and inspire me with your ability to stretch yourself creatively. I need to do this more myself. I loved all your paintings. I was wondering how your Himi gouache is holding up- is it drying out now that you’ve had it a while? Thank you for the great video, Helen!

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much, that is very kind! I'm realising that the paintings of my own which I end up liking best seem to have more randomness in them. The Himi gouache has thickened up ever so slightly, but I spray it down heavily after each use.

[@colourfab]

Helen, I have been so enjoying watching you evolve your work and techniques, adding & playing with different mediums. Very inspiring! I also hugely enjoy your swatching, analysis and organizational stuff. I am so NOT organized, and don't aspire to be, though I do a bit of swatching. Have you always been an organizing sort of person? One thought II have is why you do almost all of your art in sketchbooks, and not on larger pieces of paper or other larger supports. I would love ot see you do your painting on a larger scale!

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much! I can cope with a high degree of chaos on the surface, but have always liked to fundamentally be very organised and know exactly what I have and where. Partly I like using sketchbooks because they keep everything neatly in one place, and they're easy to take around with me. I think I shy away from larger stuff because 1) I don't have a lot of space, 2) it would use more materials, and 3) that seems scary!

[@TheFeralGoatCreative]

This is super fun!

[@Annecad]

❤

[@clairebradbury11]

Well done, that really worked. Love it. I think a lot of people struggle with trying to loosen up. I know i do. I wonder why. Is it they way we were taught at school or something deeper in our psychology?

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I love thinking about the subject, and the psychology of art! I think it's something deeper, partly to do with perfectionism and partly to do with the idea of just trying to copy what we see, or not really knowing how to abstract only parts of what we see and transferring it into art. What do you mean exactly about the way we're taught at school - do you mean in art classes, or just in general?

[@teekierudite5108]

Im wondering if the inconsistent texture is from the paint having water in it, or the silicone brush possibly vibrating on the page as you pull it across the paper. Really fun to see you play with your materials in a non-traditional way. The last painting came out very beautiful. Has a sketchy quality to it, different from your usual art, but still similar. Lovely art!

[@helencryer]

Well also I didn't really mix the ink and water together, so the solution might not have been very consistent. The silicone brush felt very smooth, so I don't think it was vibration - more just using cold pressed paper. Thank you!

[@scottcullen2832]

Hi Helen, The sailboat painting is amazing, will you be doing prints at all? ❤❤

[@helencryer]

Thank you, that's very flattering, but no!

[@ThreeRivers2014]

This one is so beautiful. I really enjoy every video you have done and have learned so much. Do you do anything to set the charcoal pencils? Thank you so much from Susan in southern US.

[@helencryer]

Thank you so much - I'm really glad! No, I haven't tried setting charcoal pencils yet. I think I'll frame this one, so it'll be fine under glass.

[@zenlife1200]

I really like the layering in this one Helen. I was a bit worried about the black charcoal buildings at the start, the black seemed too black lol. Adding the gouache over the roofs fixed it though. You had black and white charcoal pencils there, are they part of a set? I'm trying out the uni pin pen set with 3 colors. Sepia and light and dark grey. Sometimes I feel the black ink is too dark in some of my sketches and I like sepia to draw with. The only downside is the uni pin pens have fibre tips. The really fine ones tend to wear out faster on rougher watercolor paper compared to the uniball eye pens I use mostly these days. They'll be fine in my tanned nova stillman and birn sketchbook and my art creations ones though.

[@helencryer]

Thank you! I bought the charcoal pencils individually from Jackson's. I've not used my new Sepia uni pin pen yet. Sometimes I get things and then can't remember what plan I had in mind for them!

[@zenlife1200]

@@helencryer I was thinking about using them on the tan paper because I haven't got my head around starting from the mid tone instead of a light or dark base. I have a white pencil for the whites. Maybe you saw one of Leslie Stroz's videos where she talks about using a sepia pen instead of black in her tiny paintings?

[@helencryer]

I think they'd look good on that! I've not seen that video, no.

[@beejayem42]

👍🐨

[@annecoleman5915]

Thanks for all your lovely inspiration, Helen. Someone asked recently if you had found a good sharpener for your coloured pencils. I couldn't see your response. Do you have a recommendation? Thanks!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! Currently I've been using the Dahle 133 desktop sharpener, and really like it! I use a small metal KUM 2 hole sharpener for when I'm out and about. I still use the Derwent desktop sharpener for when I want really long points.

[@awatercolourist]

4:33 You wrote a book?!! 😳

[@helencryer]

I said 'read the book'!! It's a good one - I highly recommend it!

[@awatercolourist]

@@helencryer 😂😂😂 I heard it wrote rather than read!

[@helencryer]

I'm upset you're so shocked I might have written a book!! (Only kidding - I started a novel once, and it was soooooo bad!)

[@awatercolourist]

@@helencryer Share it with the world and let us be the judges of that 🤣🤣🤣.

[@helencryer]

FAT CHANCE

[@jooglerman]

You shouldnt link to US xl canson pad...Its not the same as uk version at all & is one of the worst "cheap" watercolor pads on the market here. Basically only usable for color swatching or brush practice....certainly NOT something you can easily use for multiple layers of wc or mixed media.

[@helencryer]

I think I've used the US ones in the past - they have gummed tops instead of wire bindings, and are a slightly different size? I actually liked them a little bit more than the European ones, though there wasn't loads of difference - I only stopped using them because it got too expensive for them to be shipped here. (Though perhaps the US ones have changed in the past year or so?) None of the Canson XL Watercolour pads are great for multiple layers of watercolour techniques (as no cellulose papers are) but I love them for swatching, mixed media, single layer watercolours and showing off granulating properties.