Black Cat and Red Geraniums Page

Black Cat and Red Geraniums Page

8 1/2" x 11" W&N Watercolour Markers on WC paper

Two different challenges on WetCanvas inspired me to paint my latest page in my Stillman & Birn Beta journal. 

The lovely black cat's name is Marsha, she owns artist Valri Ary who hosted last week's Weekend Drawing Event. Valri joked that her coat was as black as her heart, but I saw this sweet lady as more lovely and adorable. So had fun painting her with the Prussian Blue Hue marker. It has such a deep value range that the deep darks did for black in most of the painting while the middle values washed out to just the right value for her highlights. In the photo she had distinctly blue-cast highlights, probably sky reflections from being outdoors on a wooden step.

After posting her all over WetCanvas, I read the inspirational "The Next Sketch Is..." game where hte last poster mentioned the next one is a geranium. I didn't have any geranium paintings recent enough for the photo to be in my laptop though I did quite a few sketches from life when I lived in Kansas with my daughter. The plants I had in the windowsill survived for three years, basically a record for me and plants, even bloomed again to my surprise. Ari Cat didn't eat them. It was a nice sunny windowsill that I don't have any more.

So I had a go from memory on the bottom half of the page with Alizarin Crimson Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Sap Green and Hooker's Green Dark. I remembered the anatomy and structure well enough to be happy with my loose sketches. Love how the markers come out so bold and wash out so well, it's possible to get very light hues with them as with the cat's eyes and the lighter areas of the leaves.

I had fun and it's great to start getting back to daily art! Warming up to September's 30 in 30!

Also finished the Wisteria page by watercoloring the iris I drew in pen last Wednesday. Both flowers are from life.

Iris and Wisteria Page

5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Watercolor, watercolor pencil, pigma micron pen