Tag Archives: flower arrangement

Dailywatercolor painting – Autumn leaves watercolor painting

Autumn leaves watercolor 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

Flower close up watercolor painting

Flower close up 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 – Flower close up #3 – 11×15 inches flower watercolor painting

Flower close up watercolor painting

Flower close up watercolor painting

The flower cloer up watercolor painting is done using layers of watercolor painting on top of each other when one layer is completely dry.  A variety of pigment is used and gradated wash and wet is wet technique is used through out the painting.  I will leave it for a few days and look at it from a distance before I make any final changes.  I can see that there are shadow details that I can add to create a receeding background and give it more contrast in some areas.  This painting is done on Arches 11×15 inches cold press watercolor paper.

Daily Watercolor – Flower Close-up #3 – 11×15 inches flower watercolor painting

Flower close up watercolor painting

Flower close up watercolor painting

This is a 11 x 15 inches watercolor painting of a close up of a flower.  Fisst a sketch was made on Arches cold press watercolor paper from a photograph.  Then watercolor paint was applied from the top left hand corner towards the lower right hand corner of the watercolor paper.  Each time the area was completely dried before the next are is painted.  Wet in wet technique as well as gradated wash is used.  Care is taken to not go over the wet area with too much water and watercolor pigment to create a run back.  I am experimenting the use of Paynes Grey to darker the shades and found that it creates very interesting blacks and if not too much is used, it would not turn the initial pigment into muddy color.

Daily watercolor – Flower close-up watercolor painting #2

Flower close-up watercolor painting #2

Flower close-up watercolor painting #2

This is a smaller watercolor painting I did of a flower close up.  I outline the flower carefully with pencil and then go on to wet the entire paper with clean water.  Then I put on a lingt watercolor wash for the background making sure the hightlights are saved by not putting too much watercolor pigment into it.  When the watercolor paper is still wet, I hold the paper at various angle to let the watercolor mix itself on the paper.  This will create a different color mix you get from mixing the color in the palette.  The painting is left to dry before more layers of watercolor is being applied to outline the background.

Daily watercolor painting – Flower close up watercolor painting – 15×22 inches

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15x22 inches

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15x22 inches

This is the final watercolor painting for the flower close up watercolor I started last week.  It is on 15×22 inches Arches cold press watercolor paper.  I have added deeper and stronger shadows in many areas with layers of watercolor pigments.  Details are also added onto the flower petals as well.  Some areas of the background are painted darker to help with the overall contrast.

Daily watercolor painting – Flower closeup #1 – 15 x 22 inches

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15 x 22 inches

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15 x 22 inches

I have painted the rest of the close up flower watercolor painting.  All areas have at least one or more layers of watercolor wash.  I started each area with painting the highlights with clean water and then add the watercolor pigments.  Then I move the paper around to get the color mixing on the surface of the watercolor paper.  I use 140 lb Arches watercolor paper.  The next stage will be to paint the shadows and add more layers in areas where it is needed.  This is the hard edge the watercolor painting need to bring out the three dimension of the close up flowers.

Daily watercolor painting – Flower closeup watercolor painting #1

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15 x 22 inches

Flower close up watercolor painting - 15 x 22 inches

I have started this flower close up watercolor painting on a sheet of 15 x 22 inches Arches watercolor paper.  First I use pencil to sketch in the outline of the flower close up.  Then watercolor paint was applied to areas in a wet in wet watercolor technique.  Clean water was put on the areas of the petal where the highlights are.  After it has been dried with the glossy sheen dissapear off the surface, color is applied.  A large watercolor brush is used in some of the larger areas.  Winsor violet is the major color used in this flower close up watercolor painting.