painting a day -- day 10, something a bit different
One of the things that never happened yesterday was me working in my sketchbook while making dinner. I wanted to sketch a page full of chairs inspired by these pages in the new Design Within Reach catalog.
So today, when thinking about what to paint, I decided I'd try something a little different and paint a chair. I'd work in watercolor and use a picture for reference (and my memory of the color of our chair because it's still at the farm).
The sketch went well.
The color mixing went well and the initial layer of paint was going fine, too. I worked on the lemon a bit (which had dried to look not so great) and took some random photos of flowers in the house as I waited for the paper to dry a bit.
Unfortunately, the paper and the paint had ideas of their own on how things would turn out. The paper buckled a bit, the paint went in weird directions and basically, it all turned very frustrating. The whole point was for this to be a quick little painting.
The back/bottom of the chair was supposed to stay darkest, but the paint just didn't want to stay there.
All the water and additions of more paint also pushed the color to the edges so there's a very dark line. Not exactly how I wanted it to turn out, but I'm leaving it be.
Touching up the lemon improved it, but I'm done tinkering with that one, too.
As an antidote to the watercolor frustration, I ran upstairs and played with acrylics a bit. I made some drips on the orange canvas and on the little square one. Didn't photograph those, though.
I like being able to switch back and forth. Ashley made an interesting comment yesterday about her experience with watercolor to be more freeing and acrylic to be more focused and needing concentration. It's interesting because usually the opposite is true for me. I play in acrylics, usually painting from my imagination and making abstract paintings that are mostly about color. I tend to be much more focused and careful with my watercolor paintings. It's nice to be able to switch back and forth. And to have (a million) other means of expression to turn to when one medium just isn't doing it for me.
So today, when thinking about what to paint, I decided I'd try something a little different and paint a chair. I'd work in watercolor and use a picture for reference (and my memory of the color of our chair because it's still at the farm).
The sketch went well.
The color mixing went well and the initial layer of paint was going fine, too. I worked on the lemon a bit (which had dried to look not so great) and took some random photos of flowers in the house as I waited for the paper to dry a bit.
Unfortunately, the paper and the paint had ideas of their own on how things would turn out. The paper buckled a bit, the paint went in weird directions and basically, it all turned very frustrating. The whole point was for this to be a quick little painting.
The back/bottom of the chair was supposed to stay darkest, but the paint just didn't want to stay there.
All the water and additions of more paint also pushed the color to the edges so there's a very dark line. Not exactly how I wanted it to turn out, but I'm leaving it be.
Touching up the lemon improved it, but I'm done tinkering with that one, too.
As an antidote to the watercolor frustration, I ran upstairs and played with acrylics a bit. I made some drips on the orange canvas and on the little square one. Didn't photograph those, though.
I like being able to switch back and forth. Ashley made an interesting comment yesterday about her experience with watercolor to be more freeing and acrylic to be more focused and needing concentration. It's interesting because usually the opposite is true for me. I play in acrylics, usually painting from my imagination and making abstract paintings that are mostly about color. I tend to be much more focused and careful with my watercolor paintings. It's nice to be able to switch back and forth. And to have (a million) other means of expression to turn to when one medium just isn't doing it for me.
I can relate to your frustrations with watercolor. I haven't really tried to use it for focused drawings like your chair; I can only imagine the mess I would have made of it! :-) But I have a lot more fun "playing" with acrylics.
ReplyDeleteGreat efforts today, Anne! I too love chairs and your is lovely and whimsical!
ReplyDeleteAlso love the flowers in your house! I need some! lol
Well done on keeping up with a painting a day. I really have to be in the mood for painting and if I am not then I know the painting will not turn out as I would like! I find watercolours easier than acrylics but that is because it is the medium I have more experience with. The problem I find with watercolour though is that the end result is harder to 'control'.
ReplyDeleteI love the color of the chair. It is one of my favorite colors. I have always painted in watercolors but I am finally trying different mediums. It is fun but I do love the soft peaceful feeling I get from watercolors.
ReplyDelete