Hi guys! Thought you might be interested in how the whole watercolor creative process works…well, how I’m doing it right now, at least. As with anything, there does not seem to be a straight path; there are always options and detours, flat out dead ends, and, of course, a willingness to forge ahead. The process in a nutshell? Do something, look at it, decide what’s next, repeat. Here’s a blow by blow description of my latest painting:
1. The First Color Wash: Right now all I’m doing is letting my eyes roam freely around the painting and looking for suggestions or directions from the shapes and colors left by the first color wash. It may take days, even months, or a new set of eyes (Galaxia simmered 9 months and it was my sister Jean who first saw what was in there!)
2. First Sketch: Considering options. A lot of drawing and erasing goes on here, testing ideas and letting it rest.
3. Starting In: Thought I’d do geometrically patterned hair strands and sketched in guide lines. Playing with draping of the robe and sleeve openings. At this point, both hands hold her robe.
4. Moving Ahead: Blocked in her face a little, started to reinforce hair strands in shadowy areas only as I’m now leaning towards less hair strand delineation, not geometric patterning, and don’t want to do too much until I’m sure. Flowing lines down front of robe at this point are sashes.
5. Yeesh, Just DO Something: Ok, now what? Days passed and finally I told myself to just start somewhere and paint. I outlined the collars and started shading and painted contrasting sleeve linings for visual interest. Notice I also nixed her right hand hold of the robe.
6. OMG Will You Just DO Something?!: Again, many days passed as I fretted over how to proceed and not goof things up. So I took a huge breath and applied a you-can’t-turn-back-now shade of red on the front of her robe to create another layer of interest. The sashes now became the hem of the outer robe and I followed the curvy lines from the first wash to create interesting folds and swirls.
7. Needs Shading: Started adding movement with darker shading on both the under and outer robe. More hair strand work and bravely painted in the face at my sister’s request. The painting could have gone south here if the face didn’t work out which is why you should always do the hardest bits first…learn from me.
8. Finished Product: Darkening of hair strand detail, more shading of under robe and also in outer robe to create more folds for interest. Also added more red lining color and folds on the outer robe on the left side of the painting for the same reason.
9. Close-Up: Detail of her face. That, too, morphed as the painting progressed!
Voila! See how easy that was? Now, gang, the only issue remaining - what to call her? I’ve got a few ideas but…any suggestions?
FYI, I’ll be out of the studio for the month of October so please know that if you leave your comments or suggestions, I shall reply as soon as I can.
Thanks, and have fun!
Judy