When I feel inspired to paint or draw, my usual procedure is to sit down and get to work, with little or no advance planning. My hope and expectation is that I will be able to intuitively create what is in my mind’s eye. Occasionally, the artwork turns out well, but for the most part it does not.
My watercolor teacher and the authors of the many watercolor books I own encourage a more thoughtful and systematic approach to creating a painting. I decided to follow their directions (for once!). This is the result. A bit too much contrast between the pink/orange color on the two pears, but overall an improvement over my usual work, I think.
I’ve also documented the process below.
17 comments:
This is really REALLY nice! Thinking and planning sometimes seem like the hardest part of painting.
Isn't it awful when the teacher is right(grin). Lovely painting
I think these are GLORIOUS!!! And the contrast of the pink and orange reads real to me .. LOVE LOVE LOVE it, Sharon -- really a splendid job!
very nice watercolor
Oh my goodness ... these are lovely pears.
This is a good reminder to me to likewise. When I have taken the time to follow this process I've had fairly sucessful paintings. Learning to walk away for a few days is one of the most difficult things to do. But you came back and the darkening really improved the painting. It's just lovely!
These pears are lovely!!
Beautifully done! I think I should follow your lead.
Beautiful!!! Thanks for the step by step account, too. So maybe I'd better actually read that myriad of watercolor books on my bookshelves?!
I love the soft palette you created here, and the shapes are so true and lovely. Your composition with some tumbling to the side is charming, too! Really lovely, Sharon!
I not only love the composition and chosen (limited) palette, I also love the fact that you documented your process here. I usually just jump in without much pre-planning, but you've proven to me that it's something I need to make time for. This is really a nice painting!
Fantastic piece and I am so pleased you shared your process with us...Thank you!
Beautiful work! It was interesting to see your process too. Those pears look wonderful - make me hungry!
Thanks for posting the whole process Sharon. It sounds like our work habits are (among other things we have in common!) similar. Your painting is beautiful because, in my opinion, of what you brought to it, above and beyond (or in spite of!) any "process." For example, I love the curling procession of the pears; and all their shapes are beautifully, sensuously drawn. That said, I too often think if I did something differently, maybe more methodically, with more forethought, I'd do "better." Maybe it's an illusion, but it keep me (us?) open and learning.
beautiful pears! gorgeous color.
By the way, how did you put the obama hope image on your blog?
Dee, I'm e-mailing a jpeg of the image. Anyone else who wants it should let me know.
Just charming. Perhaps I appreciate them even more after my trip to the Mt. Hood area, the "fruit loop," where I gather many, many pears are grown. I'm drooling just thinking of it.
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