I just getting back into painting and would like some input on how I'm doing so far.

christinemcneil wrote

on 18 Jul 2009 5:13 PM

Orange White Spots Butterfly.jpg

I'm just getting back into watercolor painting after many years. I'd like to get some input as to how I may improve. I like to paint in a realistic fashion. I usually end up applying many washes and layers. I took a series of photos at our local zoo and painted direct from the photo.

Thanks

Karyn wrote

on 12 Aug 2009 8:46 AM

Hello Christine,

Thanks for posting and sharing.  I'd suggest some basics to get back into painting and used to the feel of it.  Make sure you're using good paper, paint and brushes, first.  The results are quite different when using quality materials.  If you want more advice on what people are using and how those make a difference, ask in the Watercolor forum.

Secondly, I'd suggest doing some research on your favorite watercolor painters and practicing the techniques that they employ.  Watercolor magazine might be a good resource to find some of those artists, as well as technique articles for you.  You can find some of those articles here on the site in the blogs.

I hope that helps!  Post your questions, too, in the watercolor forum so that those practicing artists can join pass along their wisdom.

Keep posting here, too, so we can enjoy your process with you.

Elizabeth Kennen wrote

on 12 Aug 2009 10:09 AM

Hello Christine,

Welcome.  This is a great place to exchange ideas and give support to fellow artists.  I was looking at your watercolors and they are lovely.  You seem to enjoy working in detatil....so do I.  I can relate to your situation of coming back to painting, after some time away from it.  It helps to have encouragement from family and friends, that's for sure.  Something that has helped me is having a positive, well lit work space and some beautiful music playing.  Have fun.  Looking forward to seeing your artwork in the American Artist gallery.

Elizabeth Kennen

peter_ahart wrote

on 23 Aug 2009 2:32 PM

Welcome back! I like the color of the piece. Like the other reply the quality of the material makes a huge differnce. Two things that pop out at me is the butterfly and the green leaves. I think the butterfly is accurate but its placement could be changed for compositional reasons. If you x out your picture plane, the main subject should be in the middle. Set it off to one side or another. This will make it more interesting to look at. I read somewhere that the avg person at a museum only looks at a piece for 7 seconds.

The second thing is the green. Most greens by themselves feel so much like plastic. A fun way to change this is with underpaintings or glazing to make the green feel more real. Look outside at a leaf. Its color is deep and varied with differnt tones and shades. When I am painting natural green I usually start out with yellow and a touch of black, which gives a great grean to start out with. Depending on what kind of water color paint your using it might be harder. The more I learn about color theory the more I realize I need to learn more. Good luck and have fun!