Tag Archives: flower

Daily watercolor painting – Orchid Watercolor Painting

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Orchid Watercolor Painting - Pencil outline and mask

This  new 15 x 22 watercolor painting based on an orchid photo I have taken during my latest trip to Singapore last month.  The photo was taken in the Singapore Botanical Garden where many varities of orchid are grown and displayed.  I started this watercolor painting by sketching out the orchid onto the cold press watercolor paper.  Then a mask was used to cover the orchid area because I planned to do a watercolor wash for the whole background.   Pebeo drawing gum was used for the blocking out and the masking of the orchid.

Watercolor Painting – Flower Arrangement Final (Washing Off Technique)

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7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor Painting - Flower arrangement

7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor Painting - Flower arrangement

I have finised, or should I say re-finished the flower arrangement watercolor painting using the washing off technique as described on yesterday’s post.  It was lots of fun and although I still am not too happy with the result of the vase and it’s shadows, I think it makes a vast imporvement from my pre – washing off technique effort.  I like the softer overall feel that this washing off technique yield to the watercolor painting especially to the background and the flower arrangement.  Using this technique means the painting is painted, then the surface watercolor layer is washed off and repaint again.  This can be done as many times as the paper can take.  A fun technique to try out and explore.

Flower arrangement before washing off technique

Flower arrangement before washing off technique

Watercolor Painting – Flower Arrangement (Washing Off Technique)

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7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor - Floor Arrangement

7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor - Floor Arrangement

I have reworked my watercolor painting on the flower arrangement using the technique called washing off.  It is a technique where you subject a finished water color painting under water and use a scrub or a brush to remove the surface color.  Then the painting is dried and repainted to yield a more richer and more fully integrated effect.  I have picked my flower arrangement painting for this technique becuase I think the background was too dark and disorganized.

7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor painting - Flower

7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor painting - Flower

I have posted the ‘before’ painting in the Dec 14 post above and you can see how dark the painting used to be.  I have shown after the washing off technique with layers of watercolor being applied on the background including the dark shadow areas.  I still need to work on the flower area, a bit on the shadows  and on the flower pot as well.   Painting everyday is very helpful to my watercolor progress, a time to quiet down and listen to music on the side.  Do a small watercolor sketch or part of one  if you do not have time to do a whole painting every day.

Daily Watercolor Painting – Abstract #3

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7.5 x10 inches Abstract Watercolor

7.5 x10 inches Abstract Watercolor

Painted a 7.5 x 10 inches watercolor abstract last night based on one of the earlier abstract painting I did earlier before.  I am trying to play around with the intensity of the color so many of the colors painted on this watercolor abstract is applied by painting brush loads of unmixed watercolor from the tube only diluted slightly with clean water.  I started with a basic light flat wash on areas of the cold press watercolor paper (photo Abstract Watercolor – In progress ).

Abstract Watercolor #3 - In progress

Watercolor Abstract #3 - In progress

Salt was used in areas to create a special effect.  It was let dry overnight and more intense color was painted on top.  I found that the most difficult part in doing an abstracct painting is know when to stop.  Knowing when to stop layering color on top of each other is very important  otherwise the many layers of color could easily turn into muddy watcolor which any watercolor painting should avoid.  Repeating form and color is important as well if you want the viewer to find unity in the watercolor painting as well as hormony.  Also repeating a form can cover some of the mistakes so as to make it look deliberate rather than a mistake.

Abstract Watercolor Painting – Flower

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Abstract Watercolor Painting - 5 x 7 inches

Abstract Watercolor Painting - 5 x 7 inches

This is a 5 x7  abstract watercolor painting I did last night.  It was done in Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper.  It was quite a fun exercise practicing my basic watercolor technique using flat wash, wet in wet, paint on dry paper and spatter and letting the watercolor paint run by holding the paper at an angle.  Salt is also used in areas of the flower.  One of the difficult thing about doing this watercolor is to  decide which way the watercolor should be up or the top.  I will look at it daily and may be it will inspire me to make some changes and decide which way the painting should look.  I will sign my abstract watercolor painting after I determine that.

Watercolor Painting – Flower Arrangement

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7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor painting - Flower

7.5 x 10 inches Watercolor painting - Flower

I have finished this 7.5 x 10 inches watercolor painting this weekend.  The dark background is quite a challenge and I found that painting background is just as time consuming as doing the subject.  I have used gradated wash on most of the background with layers of watercolor to get it to the desire color and effect.  I need to practice more on the flat wash which I have use mostly on the background of this watercolor study.  Gradated wash is also used and it the the intensity of the dark color that I have problem with.  The mixing of various colors to get the right dark grey or black watercolor is so important.  Also I found the watercolor texture I try to do for the background is very challenging to me as well.  I should practice more on the basic of doing texture in watercolor painting.

Watercolor Painiting – Flower arrangement

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Watercolor Painting - Flower Arrangement 7.5 x 1o inches

Watercolor Painting - Flower Arrangement 7.5 x 1o inches

Last night I started a watercolor painting and the subject is a flower arrangement.  I painted from the pictures I took last Sunday at Church.  It is s nice arrangement in a brown beige earth tone pot.   I saw sunlight hitting a few of the pews and took the arrangement and sit it on the edge of one of the pew with the light shinning on it.  It was quite nice as the light hit part of the pot as the background receive no illumination at all.  I took many shots turning the arrangement around for future reference for  watercolor painting.  The one watercolor I did last night was drawn on a 7.5 x 10 inches Arches cold press water color paper.  I started on the top left hand corner painting the green stems and work my way through to the bottom right hand flower bud.  It was a good watercolor exercise involving wet into wet wash as well as gradated wash.  Although there is still lots to be done on this flower arrangement watercolor painting but I am quite happy with the progress and I cannot wait to put on the dark wash for the background so that the flowers and buds will stand out from the white paper as they are suppose to.

Abstract Watercolor Painting – Flower

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Abstract Watercolor Painting - Flower

Abstract Watercolor Painting - Flower

This is another one of my attempts at abstracts using watercolor. I found that it is fun to do abstracts because you need to free yourself from paint within the lines. Also minor mistakes can be covered and ideas can develope as the painting goes on. If you fill your brush with juicy watercolor and paint it by touching it lightly on the surface, you don’t get the brush to absorb back the paint the same as when you rub your paint back and forth on the paper. And another watercolor tips is not to mix your watercolor paint too much on the palette and watercolor paper. Let the color mix itself more and you will avoid getting muddy color.

I heard Windsor and Newton’s produces a new line of watercolor large pans and I would like to try it some time in the future..