Spring 2018 Watercolor Class

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.