Sunflowers Complete

Mirinda's Gift
22x30
Watercolor on Claybord

Sunflowers on Clayboard, In Progress 6

I have most of the background done. As I go, I will work around the painting and sharpen or soften the edges of each pedal, leaf, or stem. This step seems trivial, but really adds to the over-all overlapping effect. When I have worked through the entire painting, I will look again at the flower faces and pedals (my areas of interest) and add any details, shadows, or another glaze of pigment to further define the form and give the illusion of volume.

Sunflowers on Clayboard, In Progress 5

I have started painting in the background for the sunflowers. My intention...a background that would provide a deep value contrast in relation to the high-key value of the flowers. And though I would like to say I intended to paint in the circular form in the background and the indication of a hedge line, sometimes a painting will take on it's own intentions. I just applied the paint, tilted the board and facilitated the movement of water. The forms developed, pigments separated, all on their own. Sometimes I like the effects best when they aren't created using a brush. Much of the painting is done this way, by tilting the board and letting the water move the paint versus using the paintbrush. I guess, after all, this is a watercolor.

Sunflowers on Clayboard, In Progress 4

For this painting (and the others in my clayboard series), I have chosen analogous or expanded analogous color schemes. Analogous colors, those next to each other on the color wheel, are often found in nature (one of nature's serene elements of design) and create visual harmony in a painting.

Sunflowers on Clayboard, In Progress 3

Thankfully, the lighting was much better for this photograph compared to the last image. Today I worked in the faces; painting wet-into-wet, beginning with yellows, Quin Sienna, adding Brown Madder, Winsor Green, and Alizarin. I am getting much more efficient in applying paint. Typically, I would have to apply 3-6 layers of paint for darker values. Painting on clayboard helps. The surface tends to hold the darks better than paper. But also applying the right pigments at the right time with the right consistency makes a big difference. Next, I will work through the leaves. (I just noticed a small bug captured in the photograph. Anyone else see him? He is real, not painted. I guess he likes the flowers also.)

More Sunflowers on Clayboard, In Progress

It was difficult to be inside the studio painting today. Today was one of the first warm and sunny days of spring. But I guess if I had to be inside painting, it was good to paint the sun into the flowers. I am so happy with how this one is going so far. The yellows (Hansa, New Gamboge, Quin Gold) and Quin Sienna are really working well together. I think after so many sunflowers, I have found the right combination of warm and cool yellows. So, how long is this taking me to complete? It is taking me about 6 hours per flower (just for my first step, Argh). Why so long? I am working each pedal or pedal section at a time. The clay in each pedal area is wet before the paint is applied. I lift the board and rotate it to allow the paint to mix (I just don't get the same subtle effects if I use a brush to mix paint). Once a pedal is painted, I have to wait for the water and paint to settle before I can paint and mingle the pigments for the next section. Also, as I go, I will correct any inconsistencies in the line drawing. Or add what lines and details are needed to make the drawing work. This step in the painting will take the longest, but I think it is worth the work. Love this one so far.

Feeling Yellow

A new start on sunflowers.
I have been waiting over 6 months to paint these flowers. My wonderful studio-mate, Mirinda Reynolds, brought these into our studio at Liberty Town last October (I think). The sun through the window caught them just right. I have been thinking of how to paint them ever since. Now is the time to recreate them in watercolor. I have painted over 25 sunflower paintings, each series unique in color choices and techniques in painting. This one will no doubt take on it's own personality as well. And though I have a plan in mind, I am eager to see how it will develop. I find comfort in being so familiar with this subject.

Hydrangea Complete, Gratitude

Gratitude
22x30
Watercolor on Clayboard

Hydrangea in Progress, Final Steps

So close to finished...I am often asked... How do you know when you are finished with a painting? How do you know when to stop?

Well, I have a list of questions I ask myself toward the end of a painting. When I feel that I have successfully answered those questions, I am done. Are my shapes believable? Are my shapes and values visually linked (are my darks visually linked)? Are my darks and color balanced? Do I need more contrast or "volume" in any areas? Does my painting and direction or movement in the painting "read" like I intended? How does the viewer's eye move around the painting? And finally, are there any small details I could add or remove that will enhance the flow or design in the painting?

Hydrangea in Progress, Creating Contrast 2

Here I have worked through most of the mid-value blues and began to pull out or paint in some details in the pedal shapes. Value is relative to the other values in the painting. So I will need to add dark values to the background before I can determine how dark to make the shadows. I am working to have a balance of soft shapes, lost-and-found edges, and sharp contrast areas.

Hydrangea in Progress, Creating Contrast

Usually, in this step of the painting, I will work all the mid-value contrast throughout the painting. Here I jumped right in and began to push the contrast in the shadow shapes. I will continue this throughout the flower and then move to the leaves and background.

Hydrangea in Progress, Painting in Blues 2

After many requests, I have finally added the "Follower" gadget to my blog. I know I am a little late in doing this, maybe I just needed to save something for my 100th post (coming up soon).

I have now worked through all the soft blue-violet lighter tones in the pedals. I am beginning to see form develop. Compared to my "study" done previously, I have allowed more green to show and kept the blues a little "cooler." My next step will be to add another glaze of blue-violet color, continuing to create form in the pedals. I will also begin to push the values and contrast.

Hydrangea in Progress, Painting in Blues 1

I have a few weeks break before my workshops begin. So I am focusing on a series of watercolor paintings on clayboard that I will exhibit at Bistro Bethem (a restaurant in downtown Fredericksburg) from August to October. I am hoping to have at least 5 new larger pieces 22X30 and a few smaller paintings. I began painting in the mid-value blues and violets. Each pedal is worked individually wet-into-wet. The color is then dropped in and board tilted to mingle the color. There are alot of pedals.

Hydrangea in Progress, The Underpainting

This is the small section of the 22X30 watercolor painting on clayboard.

I have began the underpainting for what will be blue hydrangeas. I chose a cool Hansa yellow (Daniel Smith) to add highlight to the white areas and under glow in the blue areas. I also began hinting at the cool violet undertones in the pedals. For the violet, I am using a pigment new to my palette, cobalt violet. When the cobalt violet dries on the clayboard surface, a nice granulating texture forms. The underpainting was applied wet-into-wet for each pedal. Once dry, I will continue this process with the next layers of blues.

Hydrangea Study

Today I worked on a small 5X7 Watercolor study of a hydrangea I would like to begin on Clayboard 22X30. I worked out the color palette I will be using and which pigments I will use in each glazing step. I haven't quite decided yet... maybe too much blue.

Life Unfolding

Life Unfolding
22X30
Watercolor on Claybord

And since so many of you have asked; it is a sunflower.

"I found I could say things more with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way- things I didn't have words for."
Georgia O'Keeffe

Life Unfolding, Almost done

Now for the leaves...

Life Unfolding, In Progress 3

I have the first layer completed for the pedals and leaves. Usually, I would paint another layer of midtone glazes. However, working on the claybord, I have been able to achieve greater variety in values and intensity in just one step. I am happy with how the shapes and form are developing. So next, I will paint the darker midvalues and darker darks together. Many watercolor artists will apply many (maybe even 50 or more) glazes (layers) to achieve subtle changes in value and to achieve value contrast. My goal is to achieve the right value and intensity with as few layers and brushstrokes (economy of brushwork) as possible to avoid making "mud" and "overworking" the painting; especially if I am using heavier, more opaque pigments (such as the yellows). I prefer the purity of colors with minimal glazing, usually only 3 to 5 layers for the darkest areas.

Life Unfolding, In Progress 2

Good to have a little time to paint again.

Life Unfolding, In Progress

Slow-going. I am very happy with how the light and midvalues have developed in the pedals. Next, I will start the lighter tones on the leaves.