Written by Inspired by Jessica’s review today, I picked up some tubes of Sennelier watercolor and thought I would give them a try. Not entirely sure why I chose a life-sized piece of shrimp for this particular test, but I’ve learned to never question myself. Prior to this, I’ve only ever used Opera Rose in this brand, but using entirely new colors was an interesting challenge. I totally should have made color swatches first, just to see what the paint would look like and how it might mix with other colors. But, as many of you know, I have the patience of a hyper-active five year old child, so this was never going to happen. Instead, I did a lightning fast loose pencil contour, rushed straight to watercolor, and made a doodlewash of a rubber duckie in water, simply because it was the first thing that popped into my head (shown below).
Not sure I’d recommend the Rubber Duckie Color Test for everyone, but for some reason it made sense to me. It was an opportunity to use all the primary colors and play with some shading. And it was more fun, for me at least, than painting little boxes. Though, I definitely think making swatches is a far better route for anyone with the patience and diligence to make them. But, if you’re like me, and simply don’t have that degree of patience, then feel free to just let loose and paint a rubber duck in water.
I really enjoyed just playing today and stepping out of my comfort zone to try new things. And, by the way, I definitely loved the Sennelier watercolors (thanks Jessica!). I’ve been meaning to try something brand new all month, but just haven’t had the chance yet. My little duckie was done in about 15 minutes and not the world’s best painting, but I rather like him. He’s a little yellow reminder that sometimes I just need to pause and play and not worry over the results. As for the giant shrimp, that was simply a reminder that it’s been a long time since I’ve had shrimp and I really need to fix that. Art doesn’t always have to be complex. Sometimes, you can just paint the first thing that pops into your head and giggle at whatever happens next!
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About the Doodlewash
SHRIMP: Sennelier L’Aquarelle Watercolours: Bright Red, Opera Rose, Yellow Sophie, Burnt Sienna, Caput Mortum, and French Ultramarine Blue. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon sepia ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal.
RUBBER DUCKIE COLOR TEST: Sennelier L’Aquarelle Watercolours: Bright Red, Yellow Sophie, Cinercous Blue, Olive Green, and French Ultramarine Blue.
refreshing colors Charlie! shrimp is so tempting 😋Rubber Duckie is damn cute!
Hehe!! Thanks so much, Snehal! 😃💕
It’s fun to try new things and get fun results. Never know what you are going to come up with next,many that’s more fun.
Always!! For me that often just amounts to picking random subjects! Hehe… it’s totally fun!
I wuv duh rubba duckie!
Hehe!! Yay! You liked him! Thanks so much, Judy! 😃💕
Your shrimp is fantastic and the Sennelier paints are at good match for you. Your testing with a rubber duckie is creative. Funny thing is I looked up Sennelier paints after reading Jessica’s great review.. Still thinking 🙂
Thanks so much, Carmel!! 😃💕 I really did enjoy them, but still getting used to the mixes! Hehe
Well I think the shrimp only confirms my previous comments on the onions, about you levelling up. Incredible! LOVE the chopsticks, too.
The adorable rubber duckie is fifteen minutes well spent, I’d say!
Awww thanks, Jacob! It was fun to try to make the shrimp look remotely interesting! Hehe… and glad ya liked my Duckie!!
I want shrimp now – dang it! great painting and information!
Hehe! Thanks, Jodi! 😃💕If I made you crave shrimp then this worked! Yay!
The rubber duckie test sounds reasonable to me! fun to walk out of the comfort zone, well, sometimes 🙂
Hehe! Always fun!! And yeah…what not a Duckie I say?! Lol
I love the duck swatch, way more fun 😀, and I totally agree, why should art have a reason, just doing is the best feeling….oh and the shrimp, well it looks so yummy, a juicy juicy prawn, I need to seek some out….I thought you were about to feed me it, as it popped up on me screen, I even opened wide, I could almost taste it 😀
Haha! Please don’t eat the doodlewash!! LOL That’s awesome… thanks so much, Rebecca! Glad you liked these! 😃💕
Well it did look so real 😀
Awww Charlie I love the shrimp! We need to place him near mine! I am sure that you remember mine when we had the food month 😉 I am happy that you gave a try to Sennelier I love them they are very pigmented you need little color. I use them almost in all my paintings I like to mix them and create my own colors and like you I never made swatches ;-D I just test my washes on a side paper at the moment I paint! <3
Aww thanks, Carolina! 😃💕Your shrimp had its body still! Lol Glad you liked this. And yeah, I just go with the flow and do things in the moment with paint. It just feels better that way!
Yes I do the same go with the flow of the moment…creativity for me is freedom 😉 <3
Your Shrimp is only lacking a bit of cocktail sauce…just sayin! 🙂 All kidding aside; It looks wonderfully delicious!
I totally get it when it comes to patience. I am a horrible seamstress because I can’t wait to get to the finished garment after I’ve washed the newly purchased fabric and pattern, or homemade pattern. I grit my teeth through the pinning on the pieces of patterns b/c often times I have to alter the pattern which is so, so hard for me. Math is involved! Math and me…we don’t get along so well.
Then I dread and hesitate making that first cut into the fabric, but once I make the first cut I’m off to the races! Once at the sewing machine I want to race through every seam, and end up having to rip out three times as many seams, and I don’t have an engineering mind so, the directions are often like sentence math problems to me. You have to think inside out, upside down, and right side out at the same time; I just want to cry!
I’ve learned the hard way that I must slow down if I want a garment that fits and is something I would buy if I saw it, and tried it on in a store.
I started out drawing and sketching the same way, but found I just made a huge distorted mess, so I had to slow down, use rulers, and grids if needed, and try, try, try again! What I see in my mind or with my eyes, and what my hand can draw are two entirely different things! My mind, and eyes see it better than my hand will ever draw it! 🙂
Same thing with French and Piano. I thought I could play sonatas, and speak fluently in a few lessons. HA! HELLO REAL WORLD! Decades on. Seriously decades. I’m not fluent in French; but my French vocabulary is pretty good, and I’m mediocre at the Piano. After 13 yrs of lessons as an adult I’ve come to terms with that. I’m okay with making noise at home…some of it is okay. 🙂 Though I’m still reading French daily…hoping it all just clicks one day.
I hope I can reign in the patience it’s going to take to paint and draw. I’ve wanted to paint since I was a girl. I’ve improved since then. I’ve had lessons as an adult, but my favorite teacher passed away and I have been on and off with it since his passing. I don’t see me ever giving up, but I’ve a long way to go to catch up to your skill set. I wish I could paint this good with little patience!
Now, about that cocktail sauce. I like mine spicy. 🙂
I’m sure you can do anything you set your mind to, Deborah! 😃💕Sounds like you’ve tried it all! I’m the same… I used to play piano as well! Never got that great at it so I haven’t played in a long time. And French… well… I definitely need to learn to speak that as my inlaws are all in Paris, but well… I end up painting instead. 😊hehe… But you should definitely paint and draw more! It’s just fun!! Glad you liked the shrimp! And yay to spicy!!
What a great sketch, Charlie – I like everything about it, from how you’ve handled the colours to the composition. Fab! 🙂
Aww thanks so much, Rebecca! 😃💕So happy you liked it!! Thanks for the compliment!
Love that little duckie. And reading that you are so impatient, makes me feel better about my own impatience. Thanks,Charlie! 🙂
Haha… Awesome! We can be impatient together!! Thanks Corinne! 😃💕
Adore your Rubber Ducky painting, absolutely love it. Really like the idea of a “Rubbery Ducky Test”, for some reason those little guys always brighten the day. Your shrimp painting is fantastic…now I’m hungry…Thank you so much for sharing.
Aww thanks so much Haunani!😃💕 It was fun to just splash so paint around and see what happened! Hehe… apparently a rubber duckie happened. Glad you like it!
Beautiful as always and amen for playing and letting loose!
Thanks so much, sis!! 😃💕hehe… yeah… playing and letting loose is the only way to life… and paint!!
All around great post Charlie, shrimp and a rubber duck hits the spot.
Awww thanks so much, Sharon! Glad you liked these! 😃💕
What fun! Love that you explored new paints and pencil line on the ducky.
Yeah… I have no idea why I suddenly paint the things I do! LOL So glad you liked it, Cathe! 😃💕Thanks!
That shrimp looks delicious 🙂
aww thanks so much!! 😃💕
Ah ah ….very nice and yummy! Can I order for dinner? 😉 (kidding, no need to stress )
Hehe! Thanks!! Glad you liked this one!! 😃💕
So delicious and a great doodlewash!
Thanks so much, Carsten! Glad you liked it! 😃
Love the duck! (K)
Awww thanks, Kerfe!! Hehe! He was a fun little exercise! 😃
Your shrimp is perfect and I love your rubber ducky! 💛
Awww thanks Eileen! 😃💕Glad ya liked this… The duckie was super fun to paint!
I’ll have to remember the rubber ducky test the next time I try out some new watercolors, lol! Love your shrimp!
hehe!! Thanks! Glad you liked this one! 😃💕