Rainbow Bisque

There is an unpredictability in using watercolor. Drying times and water saturation effect the way the paper reacts and the pigment is distributed. I've sat down to paint more times than I can count - and I still can't always predict what will happen when the paint touches the paper. I have so much respect for the watercolorists who create amazing, expressive and detailed paintings in the face of such a (seemingly) unpredictable medium. I had some fun with this painting. The colors all came together wonderfully. The directional brush strokes actually serve to describe the volume of the fruit. I set my brush down when I felt like the piece was finished - not when I felt like there was nowhere left to go. It's just one piece of fruit - but it's a painting I'm really satisfied with.

Based on a photo reference (from a stock photo website). The perspective is a little off. Composition-wise - this thing is all over the place. This isn't my favorite thing I've ever done - but I learned a lot while I was painting it. I haven't really done a lot of structures in watercolor. Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of hardcore drawing lately either. While I was sketching out the under-drawing, I really felt like throwing out the whole thing. After a lot of resistance and doubt, my brain finally gave me the words I needed: "Just go for it!" Loosen up the drawing. Paint for the sake of painting. Put down some graphite, cover it up with color. Throw some salt over there! Lift out those branches! Dry brush a few bricks. Let's see how plastic wrap works for the water... Not perfect - but I like how it all looks together. I am happy with the overall color scheme. I am starting to see how drawing positively impacts my painting and vector illustration...

Flowers are an interesting subject. They are complex, natural shapes defined by the way light reflects off of their petals - and we haven't even added color to the equation. Flower painting is not for the faint of heart. This painting started out as a sketch of a carnation at my local grocery store. The sketch was moved over to hot-press watercolor paper and traced over with acrylic ink. Once the ink was dry, I was free to apply watercolor without any worry of disturbing the lines I created. I decided to try a few different ways of creating highlights and shadows throughout the painting, resulting in a very uneven look. Overall, I really like what made it onto the paper - I just need to be a little more patient and stick with one style next time.

Much happier with the results this time. It isn't perfect - but I was able to recognize one of my big mistakes and correct it. One of the problems I have been running into in recent paintings is that the paint that goes onto the paper is so transparent I have to work the surface multiple times. The solution is in the way that the paint gets mixed - I allow too much water into the mixture (especially when multiple colors are mixed together). I would like to apply glazes to enhance the shadows, but I haven't had any success with that technique yet. I'm going to call this a success for the day. I'll be doing some research and exercises to figure out how to enhance the shadows for future paintings.

I hesitated before, during and after this painting was done. Before I started, I procrastinated while I tried to figure out how to approach painting this unique fruit. During the painting my brain asked, "are you really going to paint another fruit?". And when it was all done, I wondered if I should even bother posting it. Look at this thing - it's flat, over-worked, unintentionally splotchy (except the areas where I used salt to create the splotchy effect intentionally), and the colors are completely off. It took me forever to finally just sit down and do it, and I sort of hate it. It looks like I stepped backward somehow. That's my initial reaction, anyway. If I really felt like that, I don't think I would be able to continue on as an artist. I made some mistakes here and there, and they resulted in something I don't really care for. But I want to step away for a while, mix up some fresh paint, and try it again. Maybe I'll try something different. ...

With a little contact paper, masking fluid and two or three earth tones it is pretty simple to create stone textures in watercolor. I used the contact paper to create the rock (masking out the area behind it), spattered masking fluid then layered color over the top (burnt umber, cadmium yellow, and Payne's grey). The goat was added in with watercolor pencils. The sky is a combination of cerulean blue and Payne's grey - I used a paper towel while the paint was still wet to create the effect of misty clouds. I am turning my attention toward a painting of a larger scale. I have an opportunity to show my work to more people this Winter, and I really want to put myself out there. I won't be turning my back on this project - in fact, I've learned so much from this experience that it would be crazy to stop. Looking back on previous paintings, I am starting to see where my interests lie. I have a strong feeling that I will be practicing painting a lot of birds, insects, and...

I thought I would break from the usual posting routine to share some things I've learned. I've been trying a lot of experimental techniques to create the spatter effect above. Nearly every brush I have used for this has come up a little short - then I tried a toothbrush. So, yeah, the toothbrush is the clear winner here. Now I can create stone textures, ocean spray and the like (I just have to create some sort of spray guard to protect my poor table and walls). I have done multiple posts about how difficult it is to use masking fluid. The frustration was driving me nuts. Guess what? If you pour some masking fluid into a shallow container (I used a small yogurt container) rather than working out of the bottle, it's a hell of a lot easier. For some reason (science), masking fluid in the bottle is more like masking paste. It is chunky, fast-drying, and nearly unusable. Using a shallow dish also allowed me to spatter masking fluid, opening up even more possibilities. I ...

I love typography. I love illustrating words. I love how many ways there are to draw the letter 's'. Of course, I also love watercolor. Here is the result of putting all of those things together. I used a pink micron pen to outline the letters and enhance their forms. I attempted a yellow-to-red gradient on each letter - met with various degrees of success. Before things began to look over-worked, I stepped away. This is my first time attempting any sort of typography with watercolor. I believe that this is a fine starting point (with a lot of room for improvement).