I'm usually pretty impatient when it comes to making things. If it can't be done in one sitting, I tend to rush it or just give up altogether. So I consider it a big achievement to have spent three consecutive Tuesdays working on a painting for my watercolor class. I finished it last week, left it to dry in my teacher's studio in Haarlem, and finally brought it home!
This is the first painting that I've produced out of this class that I enjoyed doing from start to finish and am really, truly happy with. My first few lessons were a little awkward and unsure; with this work, I feel I've hit my stride and grown in confidence and technique.
I've gotten quite a few compliments from Penny on this, and it's been great to walk into the studio on Tuesday afternoons and find my other classmates—my geriatric barkada, LOL—gathered around my work and talking enthusiastically about it.
My favorite bits are the flowers, naturally. I love how the red flowers really pop, thanks to the contrast of the dark green around it. (I think I'm getting better with contrast!) I did the pink flowers by dipping a rough natural sponge in some green paint and blotting it quickly on a wet, watered-down red wash.
Penny remarked that my style is turning out to be more illustrative than painterly—nothing wrong with that, just a matter of style. To help soften the whole painting, she suggested painting over the stark white background with a quick wash of pale green blurred with lots of water.
Voila, the finished work!
Do you like it? Tell me what you think!
love it! love watercolour. would love to use it with more of a free hand
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. My first few classes, I used the brush to draw a lot—painting an outline and filling it in, that sort of thing. My teacher was always after me to kick that habit and use fewer, more continuous brushstrokes instead. She also does short brushwork exercises in the first half hour to address this problem. I think I'm better at it now although still have quite a way to go.
ReplyDeletekaagaw-agaw pansin yung mga red-orange na bulaklak! :D
ReplyDeletepretty!
ReplyDeleteNice! You don´t need a course, you can start teaching yourself! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Deepa,
ReplyDeleteI've been a long time lurker but I just had to comment about your artwork - it's awesome! Are you framing it to put on your wall?
Love your blog!
Virna
wow this is very pretty
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone... glad you all like it!
ReplyDeleteCarly, thanks for dropping by. I plan to join Kim's class in February, hope to meet you there!
Virna, yay for delurking! It's always to "meet" someone new on my blog, hope you'll delurk more often!
Nice nice! I love the red flowers! I wish I could make art like you do.
ReplyDeletepretty!! reminds me of old school children's book illustrations, very soft and ethereal.
ReplyDelete