Work in Process

When I paint, it generally goes something like this.

* What mood am I in?
* What colors reflect that moon?
* After answering those two questions, I apply those colors to the canvas in a watercolor-style wash.
* As the background paint dries, I generally see images/ideas appear, and I paint those.

Sometimes I set out with a specific idea in mind, say a sunset at the beach. Even though I know the basic idea ahead of time, the exact placement, layout and so forth are not decided until after the wash has dried.

I'm trying something different today. I'm attempting to combine my eye for color with my new drawing skills.

Using board canvas (which is less expensive than stretched canvas) I've done two coordinating washes in yellow tones. One is a pale yellow, the other is a golden yellow.

After the washed dried, a began to sketch with pencil the outlines.

On the pale yellow wash, I did an outline sketch of a rosebud. Since the detail will be added with the paints, I only wanted just to note where the petals and stems were in relation to one another.

On the golden yellow wash, I sketched the brief outline of a rose in full bloom. Again, just the basics, as the paints will show detail.

Now it's time to paint.

Check back in a few hours for the final results!