"Taking off!" by Karin Holmström

Amazing water color! I know how hard it is to work with! Yet again as I said before, shading is my weakness... It sure isn't yours! How do do that? Please tell me if you would care to reply. Do you do this professionaly?
(Love the tail!)

Karin Holmström replies: "Thanks! Hmm...how do I do that?...well, I...paint...It´s quite hard to explain! However, no, I don´t do this professionally, I just do it when I feel like it because it´s fun!"

WOW! i'm....speachless. It's gorgeous. How come my watercolours don't come out like that?! Honestly though, its gorgeous!

Cool wings - good integration into the "horse"body. Nice to see a red one this time.

Again, to comment on you art, WOW! This is one heck of a watercolor painting, and I know how hard it is to paint with watercolors so finely and in such a detailed and controlled manner. I'm only 14, and I have been drawing since I could scribble with crayons, but I never could paint with water colors with such precision. How long did it take you to learn how to paint and draw like you do? I never could manage such a neat and clean water color painting, and I sure would like to know, if you would care to respond.

Karin Holmström replies: "Thank you Heather for all of the nice comments, they make me blush... I have too been drawing since I could hold a pen, that is about 17 years. I´m also totally self-taught, I haven´t taken any art-lessons (I don´t like to be told what to draw...). When it comes to watercolours, I don´t really know what advice to give, as I don´t think I´m very good with them myself... But it´s always important to have a good paper that absorbs water. I think the paper I used for this painting contained rags, and it weighed at least 250 g/squaremetre. It was a very good (and expensive...)paper. I think the best way to learn is to keep experimenting, use well-pointed brushes and not too much water. Good luck!"

Thank you for responding. I am also self taught, and would also be an Elfwood artist if I only had a scanner, but I guess for now I will just have to be a fan who looks at, admires, and review the many talents of all Elfwood artists. I thank you for your tips. I will have to find thicker paper for the only kind that I have at the moment is regular printer paper, good for drawing, but rather useless for water color. I live in a very tiny town(about 200 people) in Ohio. The weather is cold right now, and the scenery is perfect for sketching, so that's what I am going to do right now. I hope to get another response because you sound like a very nice person. again, you have inspired me to try 100% harder, so Thank You a million times!

Karin Holmström replies: "You´re welcome! Yes, printer paper is totally useless for watercolouring! No wonder you think it´s hard. I´d like to have more time for sketching, but at the moment I´m busy studying, so the only drawings I´ve produced during the last months are doodles in my school notes. But that´s fun also... "

quite. I love to draw on school work, notes, worksheets, and other such papers. I sometimes find myself drawing, when I should be working!

I luv ur pics, have u eva tried drawin a Chocolat Dun, there really interestin 2 draw.

Just checking to see if you have updated your gallery. I'd like to see more of your pictures soon.

I have a question. When you do your watercolors, do you lightly sketch the horse/drawing part, or do you just make it up free-hand?

Great color! What's his name?