leeangold

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Mental Health, Engineering and the Artist

In honour of #BellLetsTalk day, a not-fun post about #mentalhealth, mine. #anxiety #depression #engineering #artist #LetsTalk

Since starting my art journey, I’ve been struck with how many of my fellow artists have opened up about their struggles with mental health.  Having a supportive community who are willing to open up and share their own trauma has been very helpful in coming to terms with and healing from my own battles with mental health issues.

Making art also works as a sort of therapy for me, and I’ve come a…

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Palette Tour: Travel Palettes (Part 1: Discovery )

Why yes, I do name my travel palettes after space shuttles. Peek inside Discovery!

Why yes, I do name my watercolour palettes! And yes, my travel palettes are named after space shuttles.   In the next couple of palette tour posts I’ll give you a peak into my travel palettes.

Discovery Travel Palette:  A Bijou box from filled with an assortment of  “extra” paints

The first travel palette I’d like to introduce you to is Discovery.  My Discovery palette is a small, bijou-style box…

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Handmade Watercolour Brands

A review of some of the handmade paint brands I have tried.

Most of the watercolours in my collection are from established brands such as Schmincke and Sennelier.  However, there is another option for purchasing watercolour paints.   Independent watercolour makers are a growing industry.

Buying watercolours from handmade paint makers is one way to try out unusual pigments.  Indie paint makers buy powdered pigments from sources such as Kremer Pigments, or…

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The Daily Leaf

Happy New Year!

This year I will turn over a new leaf (pun intended) with a year long project titled “The Daily Leaf”.  Each day in 2018, I will collect a leaf outdoors and create a sketch, painting or illustration of each leaf I collect throughout the year.

Who

Hi, I’m Lee Angold.  I’m an artist focused on botanical and scientific subjects, and this is a personal project I’ve set for myself.

I…

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Why paint from life

Like many botanical and scientific artists, I prefer to paint directly from life rather than photographs.  Wherever possible, I try to have real physical subjects and specimens when in the studio with me when I am painting.  Many people have asked me why I prefer not to paint from photographs.  In this post I will discuss the reasons for my preference, the advantages of painting from life, and…

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Pigment Comparison by Brand Spreadsheet

My christmas gift to you: a spreadsheet of #watercolour #paints sorted by #pigments.

We’ve all been there – our artist friends are raving about XYZ watercolour brand, or the local shop is running a great sale on brand ABC.   We’d love some new paints, but how to decide which paints to from a whole new brand?

The Problem

The trouble is, each brand makes up their own names for paints, and it can be hard to tell which paints we will like best. Two brands may offer paints with…

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Watercolour Myths : Watercolour is/should be loose and watery

Without fail, at every one of my community shows, whether at KW Artists Co-op or in a local gallery or cafe, someone exclaims that they can’t believe my work is watercolour, because my colours are saturated and my linework so precise.

Orange and Spice – Watercolour on Paper

This always makes me giggle a little – in the realm of botanical illustration, a very traditional watercolour discipline, …

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As a new freelance artist and illustrator, it is very hard to resist getting sucked into worrying about “artistic style”.

There’s no denying that creators with a distinctive and cohesive “look” to their pieces have a certain edge in selling their work – viewers who are attracted to one of their pieces will likely enjoy all of them.  The repetition of showing visually cohesive work tells a story and creates a brand.  People will recognize an artist with a distinctive style by their work, even without seeing a signature.  Customers will feel like they are purchasing a true insight into the artist when they buy a piece that is part of a larger visual narrative.

But what is artistic style, and can it be cultivated?

Until recently, I believed I didn’t have a really cohesive visual signature.  Although I paint realistic, botanical and scientific subjects and have favourite media, I didn’t feel like my work had any specific attributes that consistently set it apart.  Botanical and scientific illustration is still a very broad field. My composition, the colours and lighting in my work, the media I chose to use, the level of detail and choice of focus, the scale I paint at, even my choice of subjects seemed to vary quite a bit from piece to piece.

Some have commented on my consistent choice of botanical/natural science subjects, but that is a field, not a specific style. There are artists within my field  who truly stand out with natural science illustrations that are recognizably theirs.  Jess Shepherd springs to mind – her moody, sharply shadowed, larger than life paintings are recognizable regardless of her chosen subject, and her fascination with leaves in her Leafscape project reinforced her consistent look with a consistency of subject. By contrast, Lizzie Harper, another botanical watercolour painter, makes paintings with a completely different, but equally distinctive look.  Lizzie’s paintings are very sharply stylized, with saturated, bright clear colours applied in precise layers.

It hasn’t been until the past few months that I’ve started to see some really unique patterns emerging in my body of work.   When I hang my paintings up in shows now, there are very visible repetitions in my choice of colours, of subjects.  The most striking example was a few months ago, with much of my work hanging in three other shows (humblebrag alert), when I handed my studio mate five pieces I still had at the studio.  She hung up the display shown below, and I was struck with the many different ways the pieces echoed motifs found in one another, from colours, to patterns, to textures.

Emerging Style:  A cohesive collection of my artwork.  Black and White, Sage Green and Teal, complex textures and mathematical patterns in botanical illustration

Now, of course, my full body of work also contains some pieces that would not fit as cohesively with the ones above, they just happened to be hanging elsewhere at the time.  Some of my art pieces were (and are still) hanging at Rawlicious KW  – I selected a collection of  brightly fruit and vegetable portraits to display at this funky, raw vegan restaurant.

The art at Rawlicious is also very cohesive with itself, but in a different way – featuring bright, extremely saturated colours, particularly vibrant greens, rose and orange colours and quirky, repeating compositions. I like to focus in on little details like the tangled masses of roots on certain vegetables or the scars and markings on heirloom carrots.

Bright Fruits + Veggies Collage

Wall display at Rawlicious KW

I sincerely believe that true, individual style is something that emerges organically, through regularly drawing a range of subjects, varying media and style and exploring things that interest you. until your own signature starts emerging.  In my opinion, forcing yourself to make art that looks a very specific way (ie very closely based on your favourite artist) can be counterproductive.  Instead on honing in on what makes your art yours, you’ll end up with a watered down version of someone else’s look.

In the months since these pieces were made, I have continued to make art, mostly botanical and scientific, but also sometimes urban sketching, life drawing or other artistic stretching.

Bumpy Gourd

Decayed Wild Rabbit Skull Study

Gothic Lantern Wall Sconce

I have noticed that most of my recent art seems to complement and refine the themes I identified in the two collections above.  My pieces tend to focus heavily on interesting textures and pattern  – I love painting lichen, roots, dried curled up leaves, lumps and bumps, and things with interesting repeating mathematical patterns such as spirals or symmetry.  I like using contrast to explore textures (which made inktober a lot of fun). I also often love incorporating bright colours (which made inktober quite dreary after a while).

Airboss Rubber Factory

Perhaps unusually in a botanical illustrator, particularly one who loves colour, I don’t often find myself drawn to paint floral subjects.  I prefer to find the beauty in overlooked natural subjects such as twigs, lichen and weirdly shaped vegetables.  The same sort of pattern has started to emerge in my choice of non-natural science subjects.  For example, my favourite urban sketch subjects tend to be old factories or complicated market stalls, rather than grand landmark buildings.

I’ve made a conscious decision to not try to force myself to choose between these preferences or limit myself to them.  I’m not sure how my love of vivid colours will balance out with my love of dull-coloured textural subjects and monochromatic approaches over time.

I am continuing to paint whatever subjects interest me, fit within current projects or I am commissioned to paint.

Orange and Spice – Watercolour on Paper

I am excited when I notice some of my recent illustration bridging the gaps between different interests and patterns in my art.  My holiday card design of orange and spices is full of bright, saturated colour, but also incorporates the cool 5 point rotational symmetry of star anise.

Dutch Iris – Watercolour on Paper by Lee Angold

I also really enjoyed painting both the bright blooms of the iris to the right, as well as the papery dry petals with their beautiful textural quality.  I was amused when my studio mate, looking at my reference photo, taken months ago, commented “Of course, you had to pick the deadest most twisted up one”.  It was a funny reminder that I think of my subjects, even (especially?) floral ones, in my own unique way.

I am excited to see how my visual style continues to develop and solidify!  Perhaps this time next year I’ll have a new and more developed perspective on my own visual goals!

      What is artistic style? Do I have one? Should I care? As a new freelance artist and illustrator, it is very hard to resist getting sucked into worrying about "artistic style".

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Gift Guide: Well designed gifts for watercolour artists

Watercolour Gift Guide

The holiday season is gearing up.  Every year, around this time, people start asking me what they should gift to the artists in their lives. in particular to loved ones interested in watercolour.  I always find this such an awkward question, because art materials (and budgets!) are so individual!

I’m going to be blunt for a moment.  If your artist is a professional watercolour artist who has been…

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The Bad Vegetarian Artist: Animal Products in Watercolour Supplies

I’ve been vegetarian for over 20 years, nominally for ethical reasons. I eat some dairy and eggs, but the majority of my meals are mostly vegan.  I am bothered by the idea of raising and slaughtering animals, particularly in modern factory farms.  I am also concerned about the larger land and carbon footprint of eating higher up on the foodchain.

My ethical views are somewhat nuanced – while the…

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In October of 2017 I participated in Inktober, creating 31 ink art pieces in black and white or monochrome over the course of the month. Here they all are:

Box Elder Seed Pods

Decayed Wild Rabbit Skull Study

Tulip Tree Seed Pod

Cedar Sprig

Dissected

Spiders are the Providers

Ghost Pumpkin

Horse Chestnut

Murex Shell

Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow

Star Anise

Deinonychus

Gothic Lantern Wall Sconce

Beech Leaf

Stem Garlic

Grand Piano at KPL

Spiral Shell

Linden Seed Pods

Boo!

Eastern White Pinecone

Bumpy Gourd

Toes to the Sky

Spice of Life

Spinosaurus Feet

Maple Leaf

Pinecone II

Less Monday, More Coffee

Bright Ideas

Snail Shell Trio

Wild Turkey Feather

All of my Inktober 2017 artwork is now available for sale in my Etsy shop, along with all remaining art pieces from my 2016 Botanical Watercolour daily art challenge.

These small Daily Art original pieces are priced at an accessible price point, so that everyone can own their own original artwork

You can view my Etsy shop here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeeAngold/

All of my drawings from Inktober 2017 now on my website + etsy. View the full collection In October of 2017 I participated in Inktober, creating 31 ink art pieces in black and white or monochrome over the course of the month.

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White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) – Coloured Pencil on Paper

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Sea Urchins

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My “personal palette” - Gouache Experiments

I bought a limited "personal palette" of gouache paints. Here's how it went!

Grackle nest with three eggs:  Gouache on Paper

A couple of months ago, I finally took the plunge and bought myself some gouache paints. Although in general I love the delicacy and glazing properties of transparent watercolour, there are some subjects where the opacity and flatter finish of gouache (opaque watercolour)  are preferable.    I decided to use this opportunity of starting in a new…

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Watercolour Myths (Part 1) - Watercolours have poor lightfastness

Watercolour Myths (Part 1) – Watercolours have poor lightfastness

Working as a primarily watercolour artist, I have heard some frequently repeated myths from customers as well as other artists, which I would like to dispell.

The first myth I hear very frequently is “Doesn’t watercolour fade?”.

The short answer is no, my watercolour paintings will not fade.  In fact, most watercolour paintings you buy from professional artists should be just as durable as other…

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Coloured Pencil Colour Swatching - Faber Castell Polychromos Full Collection (120)

Coloured Pencil Colour Swatching – Faber Castell Polychromos Full Collection (120)

On this blog I have mostly focused on my experiences with watercolour, which is my primary medium, but I also do some of my work (about 15-20% of my illustrations) using coloured pencils or combining both.

As with watercolours, I am not strictly brand loyal, however, coloured pencil does lend itself a bit better to keeping full sets from a brand.  Although coloured pencils are mixable, they are…

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Inktober

This month, I am participating in Inktober.

I am a big fan of month-long challenges. A month is just about long enough to create a lasting habit (such as creating art every day, or keeping my kitchen clean). Last year, I did a “30 Pieces in 30 days” watercolour art challenge in September, where I created 30 6×6 watercolour pieces based on natural science subjects I collected on my way to the…