Spring Watercolor Project: Magnolia Week 5
In both the classes last week I finished the project as much as I wanted to in class. As an artist you can always find "just one more thing" to do to a painting but it is better to live with it for a while to be sure it really needs to be done because if you fiddle too much you are bound to ruin what you already have, that is the point I am with these 2 paintings. I may or may not work on one or both at some point, I just need to look at them with fresh eyes and that is in the future - for now.
This is the finished version from the Monday class.
I did go back into my background with a more intense wash of color around the flower and branches. This more intense color really makes the flower pop.
This is the finished version from Wednesday.
Between the two, if I were to go back in and work on one it would be the Wednesday version because I do think - for my own tastes - I would like the background to be more intense in color like the Monday version but that is just my opinion. If you like how your's turned out, leave it alone.
The center from the Monday flower.
The center from the Wednesday's flower.
One note on the dying edge on the shadowed petal, I used burnt sienna with a little orange for the "just dying" area and burnt umber for the dead edge because it is in the shadow and will be a bit darker.
From Wednesday's class. I did some detail work on the branches but at the top part of the branch to push it back a bit, with just water I lightly went over everything with a wide brush. This will soften the edges and fuzz them out making that areas look out of focus.
That is it for this project, we will be doing some fun but practical things for the rest of the semester or you may work on your own projects, just keep painting and I will see you in class.
Update:
I decided I needed to do something with the Wednesday version because to me it needed more color and more value in the background. I like it better now.
Spring 2018 Watercolor Project: Magnolia Week 4
The above images are from the Wednesday class to show what we worked on in class last time, basically it is just more of what we have been doing the past couple of weeks: Adding more washes of color to intensify the color and darken the value. Remember to leave lighter areas where you want it to look sunlit or to use lighter colors (more water than paint) in those areas and darker cooler (blue mostly, or a little purple) colors in the shadow areas. Have your reference photo in front of you to guide you.
This is from the Monday class, we are a little bit ahead of the Wednesday class so these are dome of the finishing touches. I like to add what I call "bug bites" when I am painting plants. Plants in nature aren't usually perfect and I think those imperfections add character. I start with a mix of yellow and orange and paint it along the edge of the petal, then rinse my brush and with a damp, clean brush and my whole brush edge touching the paper and the petal side to the color, I soften the edge of the yellow. WHILE THE COLOR IS STILL WET, I pick up burnt sienna on the tip of my brush and just touch the edge of the petal with the color and let it bleed on its own, the key here is to work wet into wet.
This is also Monday's project. The green center of the flower I used sap green with a touch of yellow and was using my small 1/4" angle brush. I left the little yellow scales on the green center by painting around the scales, this is negative painting. The stamens I added a yellow/orange mix as well as an alizarin. Remember that the stamens are curves as they come up and around the green center and they are longer than you think. When it was dry, I came back in with a dark mix of blue, sienna and a ting touch of purple to make the darkest shadows.
I also darkened the stem under the flower and around some of the closer branches and buds with the shadow mix from above. This is the time to create contrast and detail to finish up your painting.
This is where I left off in the Wednesday class, we will be adding some finishing touches next class and possible finish up completely as well.
This is the Monday version and at this point I think I want to call mine done. I will look at it for a few days though I am already seeing a few things I might want to improve on. Finish your's up as you see fit.
Keep painting and I will see you in class.
