Tag Archives: American in Paris illustrator

How to PAINT PRODUCE!

In celebration of the release of my latest Skillshare course Paint Produce! Intro to Drawing Fruits and Vegetables with Watercolor and my highly “giftable” “The New Victory Garden 2022” Calendar (see a theme?), I’ve synthesized a few hots tips on how to accurately render fruits and vegetables using watercolor.

Drawing fruit and vegetables is the perfect way to get well acquainted with watercolor paint. Not only should you have fruit and veg on hand (AKA no excuses), painting produce is the ultimate study in observation, volume and color.

“Draw from life!” There’s a reason that annoying drawing teacher of yours was also merging together random objects to create a still life. Drawing abides by the 10,000 hour rule. You’ve got to start somewhere and commit before you can move onto painting whatever it is that’s in your head. Drawing from life retrains your scrolling brain to reconnect with the present and forces you to draw what something is instead of what you “think” something looks like.

“Look Look Look!” Before committing with watercolor, give yourself a few 1-minute drawing exercises. Draw with your opposite hand. Draw the composition without taking your pencil off the paper. Draw your still life without looking down at the paper. It’s easy to get frustrated with technique especially if you haven’t picked up drawing since a discouraging art teacher killed your creative joy. But before getting lost in “what” to draw, commit to drawing what is in front of you. All the information is there, so just draw it. 

“Light Source”. Drawing veg is the ultimate exercise in understanding volume. And rest assured, it’s as easy as identifying where the light source is. This will cue you in on where you need to save the white space (what not to paint) and where to put the shadows. And of course, reflecting light can say a lot about what a fruit or vegetable can be. Think of how light reflects off of a red rubber ball versus an orange. A red rubber ball reflects it in one defined area because it has a completely smooth finish. The orange reflects light on each of the pores on its zest (note: how to create texture).

“Mix Mix Mix!” Who doesn’t love paint by number? But alas, this is the wild west of watercolor. The beauty and dynamic nature of the medium is when colors are mixed. It’s a truer representation of what you see and it’ll jump-start your understanding of watercolor, too.

“Be Bold!” Common knowledge in watercolor is to dose out the color from the lightest to darkest. This is good advice in a finicky medium that sadly still doesn’t have an undo button. However, since produce is already brightly saturated (AKA colourful), be bold and add the color as you see it instead of torturing yourself with layer after layer which can easily turn into a watermarked mess. 

Let loose, save the white space and don’t drink the watercolor water! More here.

Julia Child’s Paris: Following in Her Footsteps & An Illustrated Map of Her Favorite Places

An illustrated watercolor map guide to Julia Child's favorite boutiques, restaurants and other haunts in Paris.
Julia Child's favorite restaurant in Paris, Le Grand Vefour, frequented by Colette. Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris
Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris. Best French onion soup, Au Pied de Cochon. Best late-night eats in Paris
Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris. E.Dehillerin copper pots. Best kitchenware stores in Paris. French copper pots
Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris. Where did Julia Child live in Paris? Where to live in Paris?
Coffee at Les Deux Magots and dessert at Brasserie Lipp. Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris. My Life in France.
Julia Child's favorite places in Paris. Julia Child guide to Paris. Le Cordon Bleu alumni. Best culinary schools paris.

Whenever I get asked about must-go places in my hometown of Chicago, I have to preface my list stating that all my recommendations are at least a century old. No poké bowl recommendations here! I like directing friends to the haunts that my family has been flocking to for generations so they can enjoy (occasionally) musty old school charm that I think of when I think of “home”. When I was researching Julia Child’s favorite Parisian haunts for the most recent Julia Child issue of Cherry Bombe Magazine, I was reassured that there were still many similarly eternal institutions in my adopted city. These are equally as loved by true Parisians and tourists alike. Enjoy.

Originally published in The Julia Child Issue of Cherry Bombe Magazine, which celebrates women in food.

How do you get better at drawing a still life?

Before you can tell a story with objects, you have to learn how to paint them first. In my latest Skillshare course Watercolor for Breakfast: A 7-Day Editorial Food Illustration Daily Practice, I challenge students to use their own breakfast to jump-start a week of editorial food illustrations.

But what if you’re not there yet? Drawing from primary references (AKA the real object itself) is the best way to train your eye to be in synch with your brushstrokes. 

Here are a few tips on getting better at painting a still life:


–Take 1-2 minutes where you stare at the still life. This will seem loooooong at the beginning, but it’s the best way to gather information before you begin. Ask yourself a few questions.  How do all the objects connect?  What are the lightest and darkest spots? Do you think it’s important to include the background?

-Do a gestural sketch. If you’re new to drawing or still can’t seem to get started, give yourself a few drawing challenges à la art school. Draw the still life in 5 seconds. Then 10, then 15. Draw with your opposite hand. Draw it with a continuous line. Draw it with two complimentary colors. The more you loosen up, the easier it will be to synch your hand with your eye.

–Study the light source. Is your light coming from the right side? Then all the objects will reflect light on the right side and have shadows on the left. It’s as simple as that, but it’s the best way to capture and communicate volume and give sense to your overall composition. 


-Style your still life. As a former food stylist, I recommend lots of micro tips in Watercolor for Breakfast about how to take a brute ingredient and turn it into something very special. Your final drawing is only as interesting as the still life that inspires it. Cut a fruit and vegetable in half or in slices. Add a cooking utensil or a step from the process of cooking a recipe. Add a branch from outside. Make sure everything isn’t all the same height. And always add something transparent (Alas, I’m now the art teacher I used to hate). 

-Feeling courageous? Add a touch of whimsy. Once you get the hang of drawing a still life, flip it on it’s head. Quickly draw the firsts 3 ideas off the top of your head. Imagine throwing it all in the air and draw how you think it will land. Create a fashion illustration using all the elements. How would this look in movement?

-Inspiration. Study the Dutch still life masters. Follow and participate in @stillherestilllife on Instagram, a weekly drawing challenge. That’s what generated all the still life illustrations above.

Take care! Happy drawing. And don’t drink the watercolor water.
-jkw

New Skillshare course & a Stuck-at-home romp

I’ve heard it said that creativity and child rearing have a tendency to cross-cancel each other. The outcome may lack a little polish, but it’s hilarious indeed. Here is an illustrated recap of a day spent with a freshly walking tot.

As our worlds close around us and we are stuck at home more than usual, it’s easy to think that inspiration is divine lightening that strikes from the outside world. When I was a young aspiring artist, I loved to draw but didn’t know “what” to draw. Observing my insular world gave me the greatest primary reference and fast tracked me to find my voice and style. (Don’t even ask about motherhood!)

I delve into all this in my new Skillshare course “Stuck at home self-portrait: capturing a moment in time with watercolor”. I walk you through how to reacquaint yourself with your surroundings, conceptualise an evocative drawing and how to use watercolor to efficiently execute it. If you’re new to watercolor, you can watch me make all the micro decisions that go into creating an illustration (where to start, when to stop, how to tame your watercolor!). And if you want to think more editorially about your work, I give you a clear prompt how to push yourself to take your work to the next level. Check it out. And I hope it can be a telling artefact for your grandkids all about how you were stuck inside for as long as you were.

Click here to get 2 free weeks of inspiring courses, including my own for free.

How to support artists this holiday season!

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The holidays aren’t just about generosity, but also graciously supporting those who have created their own small businesses outside of flash sale capitalism. Here are a few tips on how to lend a hand this holiday season, some don’t even require spending money….

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In the same spirit, my Etsy shop is freshly updated just in time to pick the ideal gift for the Francophile in your life, including lots of new mix-and-match Paris prints, postcards and sticker packs. And of course, my book “Paris in Stride: An Insider’s Walking Guide” (Rizzoli) can easily be tucked under your arm on your next trip to Paris or snugly into a stocking, purchased *preferably* at your favorite independent bookstore or on Amazon. If you have the book already, be a pal and leave a glowing Amazon review here. It really helps out a young author like myself.

Looking for a signed copy of “Paris in Stride” in Paris? I went on a Sharpie bender at Gagliani Bookstore 224 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris. Pick up a signed copy there.