Today's painting is one I did with the watercolor class I am taking with Mick McAndrews. I've known that watercolor is one of the more difficult mediums to paint with, and am seeing first hand how challenging it can be. Some of the more challenging aspects I have found involve letting go..
Letting go...
...of what I know about painting with oils - because watercolors physically and chemically work different..
...of having control.. because watercolor often does what it wants to, and can have unexpected results
...of what I know about substrates (what you paint on) because paper is COMPLETELY different than board or canvas and the outcome truly depends on the quality of the paper
...and of how pigments work.. because depending on the pigment, it may do things that it never will do as an oil paint..
So, it is a fascinating challenge, learning this medium, and is appealing to the nerdy, scientific side of me.
Titled "Eventide", this image was an exercise about painting boats (more rigging!), creating emphasis and a focal point, how to create that diffused, melty look the setting sun sometimes has, reflections, color mixing, and more that I am not remembering right now.. Lots of fun!
"Eventide", watercolor on Arches rough 140 lb paper, 16"x12", NFS
