Just having fun with washes the last few days. Trying not to get to heavy with the paint. Nothing too special not any major techniques other than wet in wet. I did let things dry a little bit. Trying to learn to be patient. I must pull out the hair dryer that may help the situation. This was a scene from a picture I took up in North Conway NH
I just had a hankering to play with my Blue and Yellow watercolors. To experiment with stripes of each blue and then adding a yellow wash on each blue to see how they looked. I let the blue completely dry . Then added a medium wash of each yellow with out disturbing the bottom color. This way the bottom color shows through the top color and changes the look.
This is a bit different from what I usually do in my paintings.. Typically I bring two colors side by side and let them mingle and do their thing, and or mix it in the palette. I’ve added the beginnings of this project below. Which began with just drawing lines, adding the painting name at the top and sides. Then proceeded painting each blue, after they where totally dry did a medium wash of yellow over the blue. I think lighter washes would probably work better. When this technique is done right it can be so beautiful.
Playing catch up, I found two paintings I had started years ago and decided to just experiment. My goal was to darken the back ground and make the flowers pop color wise. My personal opinion is first one with the two pansies are ok.. the bottom single one.. not so good. Over worked. Typically I would not share these but , for the spirit of doing 30 in 30 I will. Its what I have worked on, for the project.
Tomorrow I will post something a bit different for day 17. Basically coloring between the lines. Experimenting with all my blues and yellows. Painting a stripe of each blue and then doing a wash over the blues. Not quite done but will be for tomorrow.
This painting is a small 5 x 7 size, watercolor. Today was Friday the 13th and a full moon as well. So this one feels over worked for me. I should have stopped a while ago doing those greens on the bottom. I’ve included a few pictures as a work in progress. Also the actual photo I took. There is a lot more in the photo like flowers and a wall to the right. I needed to keep it simple to actually finish it for today.
My finished Painting done from a picture I took a few years ago. Cadillac mountain watching the sunset. Gorgeous place to go and visit no doubt. But I am finding more and more that I somewhat use the picture as a jumping off point. But totally ignore it pretty quickly as I start painting.. Yea I guess I”m finally getting loose and more painterly.
I must say I was not having much hope with this one as it started, therefore I only took one work in progress picture.. Thought it was going to be on the scrap pile. I’m happy with the final result. But having said that I took another picture of it and cropped it a little bit more on the left side.. That green bush there is just to dominate for my liking. Just scroll down to see WIP picture and Actual picture.
I do like it better , but either way will work. I have added the one shot of during the painting process and the inspiration picture that was taken by me. Thank you for stopping by to check it out.
Seagull resting On a sunny day. One of those close up shots of this fabulous bird. Finally get to actually put paint to paper and represent this guy. This painting is about 4 inches by 7 inches..
A small 3 x 3 painting of small white flowers. Inspiration from a picture from my garden this summer. Tall Phlox.
Here is my contribution to my 30 in 30 challenge. Day 2 I did a small painting 5 X 7 on arches watercolor paper . I do not spend a lot of time painting these. I probably spend about 1 hour from start to finish. Its wonderful to sketch loosely and keep the painting loose as well. I am typically a very tight painter and typically spend a lot of time drawing out and painting. So this is very good to work out.. being loose. 🙂
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 
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