This is a small watercolor painting of an old brick house and a window surrounded by green plants. The painting is approximately 7 x 11 inches and is painted on cold press watercolor paper. A blue green wash compose of Ultramarine Blue and Windsor Green watercolor paint is applied on where the plant is going to be. Then the leaves are painted in a darker watercolor tone. After the layers are dry, a thin wash of Burnt Sienna watercolor is used for the wall color behind the plant. Left wall is being painted with several watercolor washes along side several watercolor washes for the plant. The right side showing the thin watercolor washes in contrast with the left. Part of the window frame and the brick window sill is also being painted in several watercolor layers using the wet in wet as well as the dry brush technique for watercolor texture.
Category Archives: Plants
Daily watercolor painting – Autumn leaves #2 approach – watercolor painting
After the autumn leaves watercolor painting was finished (see last post) and looking at it for a few days, I tried to add some interest into the painting. The watercolor painting shows the color of the leaves in autumn and yet it is too common in a sense that it does not have attact me to look at it more. I started by taping around the inside of the painting leaving about inch and a half of space on the outside. Then I start to remove some of the watercolor paint on the paper by wetting the paper and then blot it off with tissue. The color start to appear lighter around the taped edges showing a lighter frame of watercolor surrounding the middle. I carefully paint around some leaves with water so as to leave a couple of leaves extend from the middle of the painting with full color. Once the tape is removed, I outline the leaves and the square frame using a black medium Staedtler Lumocolor pen.
Dailywatercolor painting – Autumn leaves watercolor painting
This watercolor painting was done on a 15 x 15 inches cold press watercolor paper taken from a watercolor pad. The watercolor paper seems to have a different texture and characteristic than what I have been used to which is the Arches watercolor paper. It takes watercolor paint well but the paint seems to dry to a dull finish. I used the wet in wet technique in this autumn leaves study starting from the top left corner. The overall color is painted in and around the shapes. Somehow I lost the drawn outline and end up with an abstract of orange and yellow color instead of a painting of autumn leaves. Then I took the reference photo and started to outline the various shapes with a heavy felt tip black marker. After I did that to the reference photo, the shape of the leaves reappear and I can go over the watercolor painting with darker shades to outline the leaves. What I have learned is that I need to study the subject carefully and identify each of the subject and it’s relationship with the background before I start to paint. I would also like to experiment a little bit with a lighter outside border to increase the impact and interest of this autumn leaves watercolor study. Will show the final painting in a few days.
Daily watercolor – Flower Close-up #3 – 11×15 inches flower watercolor painting
This is the final watercolor painting on the #3 flower close-up. It is done on 11×15 inches arches cold-press watercolor paper. If you compare this from the previous post, I have added more layers of color on to some areas to make it darker so that the flower will show up more. Areas around the outside has been darken to have a darker value compare with the center. Some colors are being lifted by rewetting and was lifted by tissue and brush. I might do a larger painting on full size paper based on this watercolor painting and will have to use a bigger watercolor brush because of the larger piece of watercolor paper. Will start off the same with pencil drawing and I hope it will have more impact due to the size of watercolor paper.
Daily watercolor – Orchid watercolor painting – 15 x22 inches
After painting many more layers of gradated watercolor wash for the background I think I have completed this Orchid watercolor painting. This is a 15 x 22 inches watercolor and after the last layer of background is dried, I carelfuul did an outline around the orchid to give it a neat and sharp border. Some watercolor paint areas of the orchid has been scrub away to review a lighter color so it has a bigger contrast towards the black background. The leaves behind the orchid was also given more layers of watercolor wash to get it in a darker shade. Finally yellow watercolor was painted on the tip of the orchid for accent.
Watercolor daily blog – Orchid watercolor painting
The orchid watercolor painting has been added on more layers of watercolor paint to achieve a more solid background and darker background. Winsor and Newton watercolor paint is used and the mixing of French Ultramarine Blue, Alizon Crimson and Burnt Sienna gives me darker and richer black for the background. Layers of watercolor wash is also added on to the leaves behind the orchid. I think another few layers of watercolor wash should be enough for the final painting and I think some colors in petals of the orchid should be lifted to show more white in contrast with the background.
Daily watercolor – Orchid Watercolor Painting
The orchid watercolor painting has more layers paintied on the backgraound. The darker watercolor is painted on in layers by mixing Winsor Green, French Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson to get the deep black. Each layer is painted after the previous one is dried. There is still details on the orchid that needs to be added as well as more layers of the background to get a more solid black.
Daily Watercolor – Orchid watercolor painting
Continue with my Orchid watercolor painting last night doing the last two orchids in watercolor paint and also change the background to much deeper color. The dark color was a mixture of green, blue and red to produce a deep dark background. This is the first dark watercolor wash on top of the light ochre background and there will be many layers more so that it will be close to black watercolor. I might eventually try some black watercolor in this case which I have never used before. I think for a certain areas near the orchid I need the very deep dark to contrast the orchid. I am trying to make the orchid pop out of the dark background.