Watercolor Painting - Country Cottage and Garden (Wip)
WIP=Work In Progress
The Background's Second Layer of Color
With the second layer of colors I define the shape of the object and the colors. I add some shadows to give the subject shape.
The third layer of color for the background trees will be mostly shadow and additional textures. The light source is coming from the left side of the painting. You can see the shadows cast by the eves of the house. I have to keep in mind where the light source is coming from when I add shadows. The right side of the trees will be in shadow as with everything else that cast shadows. I do this instinctively now, but when I was first learning how to draw, I had to constantly check my shadows to make sure they all agreed with each other.
I will be working my way down the painting to fill out the white areas with paint. I will leave the last layer of the background until later when I finish adding the first and second layers of color to my painting.
I work mostly wet on wet, let the color dry and scrap away color for the highlights. I need strong paper to do this and Arches watercolor paper is some of the touphest paper I've found. It will take a beating and still carry the water and paint evenly without pilling.
I had to enhance the drawing with some filters on my iPad so you can see the lines. The lines in normal light hardly show up, and the paper is an off-white. The filter not only enhanced my pencil lines but they also caught the texture of my cold press watercolor paper.
A link to My Blog
@reddust,
Wow it's amazing! I feel it like an Asian home! I wish to see the final artwork soon my dear friend!
Cheers~
It is a very well structured post with good content. I like how you explained each process of your work. i hope the final result is perfect, the details of the kitty I love and has a style like Egyptian or something similar. I'm amazed with your work . Excellent post, greetings.
Thank you @sfpoulcolin, that's my cat Cleo, her coat is dark browns, blacks, and oranges called a tortise shell.
you have a beautiful cat. i really love it.
Do you ever use sandpaper?
I know of people who have ... basically washed parts of their water color. Scrubbed it clean.
But, if you get one of those foam sanding blocks, would it work like a big fat water color eraser?
I've never used sandpaper, that would freak me out...hahaha
I use non staining colors if I want the white of the paper to show through after I rub off some of the color. Or I use a staining color for the base and rub of the additional layers...
I'm afraid sandpapering the paper would change the spread of the paint and it's color...I've never done this technique...
I will try it on a separate piece of paper to see how it works...lol
Wow wow wow, the cottage is progressively closing in to completion. This is looking beautiful already and I bet it’d be a piece of amazing beauty when it’s completed. Anticipating the completed work
The cottage will be easy, it's the plants that are difficult...so many textures and colors along with shadows. Thank you @olumideolowoyeye
@reddust, Second layer of the color for background being gorgeous looks. I have no idea what about final production's color combination. But I know you make it awesomely.
That is a great thinking for add more value to this painting.
@madushanka, I will be adding darker shadows to give the trees depth, it's a spatial trick that makes art look 3 dimensional. Thank you !
Try using black markers for edges, like very dark so you can easily know boundaries while coloring to avoid overlaps, water color is really hard to use sometimes.... Nice painting btw
The third layer of color will define the trees and foliage. That won't happen until I finish applying the first and second layers of paint throughout the rest of the painting. Many times I use pen and ink to outline my subjects but I decided to keep this painting strictly watercolor. Thank you for the suggestion @onos!
I get your point of view now. That's cool
Wow another work in progress
letting the water dry off on the paper? Wouldn't it disturb the precision of the colour layer?
I let the paint dry and add precision lines for definition, add more water to blend. I let that dry and come back and rub off some of the paint with a damp brush for highlights.
The WIP seems to be headed in the right direction.
I can't wait to see how it looks when it's done
;-)
Thank you @motivationmob, I like how it's coming along too. Sometimes I don't but that doesn't stop me from working. Sometimes things don't look right but as the painting progresses everything adds up in the end.
I suppose its kinda like life, sometimes it just doesn't seem like its going right, then somehow, all the pieces just line up on the own and some magic happens ;-)
Wow. A great work is coming out. As a source of inspiration, it reflects the warmth of the heart. Congratulations @reddust
I nice little cozy home full of pretty gardens and trees, that's my idea of heaven @turkishcrew.
I see your talented skill via every paintings. Second layer adding to art work now I see outside's trees embossed better now. It's attractive and after another once will be good painting.
I am happy with the outcome so far @dragonking, thank you.