The Vintage Tractor in Watercolor

Virtual Studio Tour!

It's taken a while now but I'm happy to reveal
The Vintage Tractor watercolor painting.  After so many landscape and floral subjects, it's been a treat to take some time with the faded paint, dents, and rust!

More than ten years since my last mechanical type subject...
So many years, I'll have to check with my car-guy husband to know for sure which one was most recent before this one.



As I've shared often, I love the hunt for all variety of items from a time gone by.  It's like these items have a story to tell.  They tell about the culture and the daily living of that time.  When I saw this old tractor sitting out in the elements, it seemed to have character all its own.  Only later did my husband explain to me that it was pieced together with some real ingenuity.  Automobile parts were used by the skilled hands that put this tractor together.  He tells me how someone who knows cars will recognize the unconventional parts used for making it a tractor.  My untrained eye did not see that.  There was just something unusual and interesting about it...that's all I could figure when I chose this as an art reference.

Have you ever seen a completed project and wondered, "how did they do that?"  With artwork, I believe that happens so I enjoy sharing the behind-the-scenes progression of artwork.  Well, here goes!

Sketching Subjects with Mechanical Details

The Beginning of The Vintage Tractor in Watercolor

My subject matter for the current watercolor painting is different than recent paintings.  The vintage tractor has sun-faded paint,  rust, dents, and wonderful textures!  Add all that color and it's practically begging me to put it on paper.  It's a big change, not quite the same as a landscape or flowers.  While the flower has its own tiny details to conquer, there is more wiggle room for the artist.  If the petal moves a little to the left, it's just fine.  If the stem is a little longer, no problem.   I can always add a few more leaves.  Well, I'm not giving myself an easy challenge here but I still can't resist.  That -and my husband is really, really excited about watching this one come together.  

What about subjects with more mechanics, pieces and parts?  You see, if it's a subject matter that others know well and proportions are off, there's a problem.  This is something I've faced before with subject matter like vintage automobiles.  Now, the current watercolor painting in progress, a vintage tractor is the same.  The sketch used is the foundation of the painting.  Careful planning is necessary for the sketch to be completed.  Are you curious about how that drawing begins?

How does an artist plan out the detailed sketch?  

Are there tricks that help make it more successful?  

That's what I'd like to share today!

First, I'll show the original photograph, where this all began.  On a Saturday morning, my husband and I were checking out all the great finds available at Timeless Tom's.  We both enjoy the hunt for something we must have...it doesn't matter that we weren't really looking for it.  I've got a love of searching through all the variety of items he brings from farm and estate auctions.  The tractor didn't come home with us.  With my camera, I was able to snap a few photos of this one-of-a-kind homemade tractor.

Once the photo is imported into photo editing software, I can make any needed changes for using it as an art reference photo.  That might include cropping, adjusting the fill light and highlights, and increasing the color saturation.  I save that version.  Then, I create a version with some more noticeable filters applied.  This version has more artistic license.  It's my rough draft guide to where my creative juices want to take it in the final painting.  Let me say, if you really like that version, I could order the photograph as a print on fine art papers or canvas.  Let me know.  We'll talk.

I have my reference photos printed online or at a local photo kiosk.  For this project, I have a printed copy of the second version with the editing done.  These tips can be followed with photos displayed on a tablet as well.

A Vintage Tractor, Society6 & My Sketchbook

This Week in the Watercolor Studio

The studio has been a busy!  The flow of activity is not smooth; adaptive and flexible describes my energy.  While plenty has been happening, the vintage tractor has not had any work done since last Friday.  I'm feeling less focused on writing for today but I do want to share, so bear with me, please.

Update 3/30/16:  I've just realized perhaps I have more to share about this watercolor painting.  I attempted to build a graphic last week but just wasn't happy with the results at that time.  It's all working together much better today.  While preparing to add the graphic at left, I noticed the photographs taken while sketching out the tractor.  With a more detailed subject that needs more accuracy, I take more time to make sure the proportions are correct.  In the coming weeks, I'll prepare to share how I begin a drawing and what tools & tricks help guide the process.  Stay tuned!  Another lightbulb moment!!  I hope you enjoy reading and seeing all I bring to share here along the way.

Once begun, the watercolor painting of the vintage tractor moved along quickly.   Within two days, a lot of change took place.  Masking fluid was used to preserve the fine lines on the radiator.  I mistakenly called it a grill while talking about it previously.  Silly me!  I worked on it up until last Friday.  Sadly, it's taking a backseat to other things for now.

Even at this point in the progress of this watercolor painting, there is quite a bit of interest in this painting!  I've had some questions about whether it will be available for sale when complete.  Yes, it will be available to purchase!  Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Art Studio Update March 2016

Let's chit chat about works in progress

I've been a busy girl, wanting to get it all done now, when there's not enough hours or energy to keep up!  There isn't a specific to-do this for each day.  That probably needs to change.  I have a mental list of tasks and goals but no real game plan for each day.  It feels like a bit of chaos.  

I'm sidetracked so easily!  In fact, I've got quite a bit to share so here we go:

1.  Etsy shop new listings

The final two poppies watercolor paintings are now listed in the ChristySheelerArtist shop on Etsy.
These are the originals, 8" x 10" in size, on 300 lb. Arches cold-press watercolor paper.  

Poppies Sunlit Blooms 2016