Well, let me share something with you. I “thought” I wanted to paint glass bottles.. I started and realized I was way out of my league. What a mess! Such an advance painting project for an essentially a beginner. Although I painted regularly years ago and did ok. It is very much apparent to me I need to get my watercolor knowledge back. So I carefully put away my glass bottles… and pulled out my painting palette to experiment . I’m keeping it to just 6 colors at the moment. I also pulled out one of my favorite books by Jeanne Dobie “MAKING COLOR SING”.
Today just sharing my “experimentation” with my 6 colors… She has a chapter describing luminous grays. By mixing your one of your primary colors with their compliment you can create these most gorgeous grays. This is just experimenting, and as I look at this loose painting it probably could use more detail.. It is suppose to be a mountain scene, ( I’ve included a close up view of the top of this painting) I followed her example to work on my mixtures. It is a beginning.. trying to get what is in my head down on paper. I figure every time I paint it will help, and I will learn. Watercolors can easily turn to muddy colors so easily So I’m in great need to figure out how NOT to do that! .. I want beautiful colors..
This picture just shares the mixtures done today along with my mixtures of mouse colors. These grays are not neutral by any means, they actually have colors to them, they can be cool , warm, greenish, reddish,blueish, at any intensity needed..
This is what has pulled me to watercolor is the gorgeous luminosity, I don’t want to simply copy a scene I want to create a scene from reality. Make it artistic if this makes any sense.
Let me show you the picture of what I wanted to attempt… took lots of great pictures to do later!! What was I thinking??? lol Someday I’ll go back to it.
Watercolor Raw 
Thank you cynthia 🙂
A very beautiful watercolor mountain scene!!! Go girl!!! You have it all inside you. Every week I have to come up with a new scene to paint in watercolor for beginning to advanced WC students in 2 hours in the am & again in the pm. I am having to really push myself for variety, not too complicated, effective and stunning results. Groan! But it is pushing me to try new techniques & solve problems plus making a collection of new paintings. AND I have a deadline & people waiting for my resullt every week. Love what you are doing & respect your effort. k eep letting me see what you are doing please. O
Hi Cynthia, Wow That puts a lot of pressure on you to produce new scenes. I bet they are beautiful, and your students are learning so much! I think I am doing this blog to learn and try new techniques and solve problems. It gives me a reason to work on my art, and get better. If what I share here helps someone else that is good. Thank you cynthia for your support and for sharing with me. I think in the long run this will be good for me. I missed it for so long and now the girls are grown up and doing their own thing I can finally focus on something I’ve loved and missed doing.
Something we have missed seeing, your beautiful watercolors!