In my studio: still life set up and easel.
My latest watercolor began life as a small pile of eggplants sitting in a ceramic bowl. I played around with the arrangement of the bowl and vegetables on a red and white tea towel, looking for a pleasing composition. One that I hoped would spark joy. I loved all the colors and I thought it was looking good, so I made a light pencil sketch on paper to confirm if I truly liked the composition.
As it turned out, I did like it. A lot. But if I hadn't I might have shifted some of the eggplants around again, or maybe even chucked the whole thing and started over.
Now, you may be thinking what a shame it would be to lose that drawing and all the work that went into it. But watercolor is not like oil paint, you can't just scrape it off and re-paint it. (Well, not much, anyway.) Once the paint is on the paper it's pretty much there for good. So believe me, it's better to erase a drawing than to go forward with a lousy composition and live to regret it. How do I know this? Go on, take a wild guess.
As it turned out, I did like it. A lot. But if I hadn't I might have shifted some of the eggplants around again, or maybe even chucked the whole thing and started over.
Now, you may be thinking what a shame it would be to lose that drawing and all the work that went into it. But watercolor is not like oil paint, you can't just scrape it off and re-paint it. (Well, not much, anyway.) Once the paint is on the paper it's pretty much there for good. So believe me, it's better to erase a drawing than to go forward with a lousy composition and live to regret it. How do I know this? Go on, take a wild guess.
After the pencil drawing I painted a light layer of colored washes.
Okay, so now I was sure of my composition and was ready to commit. The next step was to paint a light, watery layer of color over it as a further aid in envisioning the entire piece. Then, with my plan in place, I began to develop the painting, going over everything with stronger colors and more details.
After I'd taken the painting as far as I could, I took a deep breath and a giant step back. It was time to ponder, push and pull. And to administer a few finishing touches. Were there any weak lines that needed fortifying? Any sharp edges that should have been softer? Could the painting use a bit more oomph by adding some dark accents? I made all the necessary adjustments.
Suddenly loud warning bells started going off. Uh oh, the signal of approaching danger! I was standing a little too close to the edge, that fine line between overdoing it and leaving well enough alone. It was time to step away from the painting and put the brushes down.
And there it was, the painting was finished. All in a day's work. The only thing left to do was to roast the eggplants. And boy were they delicious.
You can click on the image to see it larger, to purchase, or to contact me about this painting. Thanks for visiting!
After I'd taken the painting as far as I could, I took a deep breath and a giant step back. It was time to ponder, push and pull. And to administer a few finishing touches. Were there any weak lines that needed fortifying? Any sharp edges that should have been softer? Could the painting use a bit more oomph by adding some dark accents? I made all the necessary adjustments.
Suddenly loud warning bells started going off. Uh oh, the signal of approaching danger! I was standing a little too close to the edge, that fine line between overdoing it and leaving well enough alone. It was time to step away from the painting and put the brushes down.
And there it was, the painting was finished. All in a day's work. The only thing left to do was to roast the eggplants. And boy were they delicious.
You can click on the image to see it larger, to purchase, or to contact me about this painting. Thanks for visiting!
Eggplants in Ceramic Bowl, Watercolor, 8x10 in
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