Umbrellas Watercolor Demo #6

I am unable to get the correct colors with my camera. The blues will not come true at all...but I guess this is not one to worry about anyway...several things have gone wrong. The background is just not becoming even...There seems to be something on it in several places and then in one small area of background it is a different color than it should be. I have no idea how that came about. ha! I used out of the same pile I made and yet it is appearing totally different. This had potential to be really cool but I think I missed it. I still have some areas to work on and will do that tomorrow and call it done...but I am disappointed as I can see it could have been quite an interesting painting had it worked better...but time to be done and move on!

Umbrellas Watercolor Demo #5

Slow as molasses is what I am. I just cannot seem to stick with this at all but did make a little progress. I have to figure out how to paint that complicated background as I do not have any masking and this has so many turns etc I think I almost need it...so I have to give this some thought before I move forward! Here is where I am now and I hope the next time I post the background is in!

Umbrellas Watercolor Demo #4

Well I am sort of surprised at how long it is taking me to paint this! I knew I was slow but really! ha! I am trying to find those crazy cast reflections that are odd but need to be sort of accurate to read the umbrella above...I nearly have it. Hopefully tomorrow I will close the gap on this part...then deciding on the background value will be my big task as when I took this picture outside the background was a dark gray blue. I am worried that everything will get lost in that color...so I have to put my thinking cap on. Now this would be where knowing how to use photoshop would really come in handy!!!  Something tells me there is a simple app on my phone that might help me with this if I can figure that out...but first I need to get the umbrellas and reflections done! 

Umbrellas Watercolor Demo #3

I have worked a little more on these umbrellas...I thought I would be much further by now but I think it is still moving forward and that is the important thing. It was my birthday today so I only painted for a few minutes but even like today with a lot going on I try to get in even 30 minutes and it can make a big difference! So here we are...closing in on the last of the umbrellas!

Umbrellas Watercolor Demo 2

Well it might seem I have not gotten very far but figuring out the details to keep these shapes accurate is like doing a puzzle...once I have it drawn the easy part is painting it! The painting on this is pretty straight forward...but the shapes need to be right on for me...
I might work for another hour today and then call it good...we shall see. An hour can slip by pretty fast! Since this is 1/2 sheet rather than full it seems every detail is so small because I am not use to working this size at all. I could play with the washes more it seems if it had been larger but I just do not have the space for larger pieces anymore. So we shall see how this looks in the end!

Umbrellas Watercolor Demo

I have begun a new painting and it feels like it will take forever but it will get done alot quicker actually as it is just a 1/2 sheet...I finally finished up alot of the drawing on Monday. I felt like I needed to begin painting and then do the finish drawing as I go now because I keep getting lost so adding the color helps to define each area so I can draw within that space. That is what I do every time it is a difficult piece. It really helps you narrow it down to one place and it is easier to focus.
I might work a little bit more today but I might instead go outside and enjoy the weather as it is very sunny out and warming up to near 30 today! It is wonderful after such a long winter.

Iris With Bee

I am calling this done finally! If there is any tweeking that I might do it will be ever so slight and will not change how it really looks.
I have not figured out a name for this yet but surely hope to come up with something that makes sense to me. I have no idea if it should refer to the wildness of the grasses I have made up in the background or refer to the bee. It could simply be The Pollinator I suppose...we shall see.
Well guys I usually have the next one drawn but this time that has not happened. I will hopefully begin working on the drawing tomorrow and in a few days be able to tell you what I plan to paint next.
I hope this demo has helped those of you who like to paint iris or flowers to see how I work carefully in with slow glazing and not until toward the end do I get the intense color so there is no bleeding. I also always have a very good drawing so that I know it is going to look just like I want it.

Have a great weekend!

Watercolor Iris Demo #9

Well I have not gotten far but I have been cleaning edges and working on the bee. just a few areas left to work on. What I do notice is that the veins in the wings do not show up so perhaps they are too soft and I need to do more. In person however it seems I see them well so will have to decide that later.
There have been distractions again but still I manage an hour here and there so that helps! I know that I can finish this on the weekend now and so hopefully by Sunday you will see the final pictures!!

I did a close up so you could see how losely I am handling some areas.