Watercolor Wed.12

I’m pushing a little farther into watercolor world with a figure + back round.  While I’m not absolutely thrilled with the outcome, I’m sort of pleased that I’m getting braver with the medium. Frankly, there are still a few stumbling blocks for me.

Over -noodling is certainly a problem . I sometimes don’t know when to leave well enough alone. Case in point is the water. I’ve no experience with watercolor water, so it’s a real challenge.

I also tried a touch of liquid frisket on the leaves of the weeds to try and create a little dimension. Eh-I’ve a long way to go if I choose to move into serious watercolor landscape. And while I know that I should make it my next big challenge, I have trouble finding landscape painting as exciting as painting faces and figures. I’ll be fighting that one out with myself. Don’t know if landscapes will win;)

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Watercolor Wed.12

My friend’s dog Hershey here. Hershey is a good doggie and the paint quickly became form, except for the right ear, which required definition. Alas, I feel back upon opacity.

Watercolor Wed. 8

As a portrait painter, my new challenge in watercolor is to quickly capture a natural  likeness.

When I work in oils, the process is forgiving, because I am able to walk away, reevaluate, and layer corrections to please both myself and the client.   The loose watercolor portraits of sisters above, were executed very quickly.  And because they were not commissioned work, I had the freedom to get very close to the likeness I’m always after, without worrying about nailing a likeness.  The upside is that with watercolor, the paintings are quick, and I can make many.  I’m hoping that in a relatively short amount of work time, if I paint several watercolors of a subject, I will be able to yield at least one likeness that will hit. We’ll see;)

Watercolor Wed. 7

Another watercolor portrait, really quick and loose.

Watercolor Wed. 3

                                            Watercolor on Strathmore Windpower Watercolor Pad

I neglected to leave enough white/light space.   I’ve added a few strokes of opaque white watercolor to regain the white, but now the areas appear gray or dirty.  I also wish I’d left more light space in the faces. I’m learning.

I chickened out and went back to a pencil outline.  Sort of worked ok here, but  next time…

Watercolor Wed.2

Last Wednesday I complained about my ineptitude with watercolor.  This week, I plod on, with three quick attempts at the same subject. Above is the most successful with regard to the look that I want.  I found that if I did not plan in pencil at all, I got a better result.

This first attempt was well planned with pencil, and it is too bright and too tight. Struggle is written all over it.

This second attempt is too loose and too tight.

And while I still can’t call the third attempt just right, I’m learning.