Day 27: Goshawk in Watercolor

Goshawk

5" x 7" watercolor on paper

I meant to sketch this with Winsor & Newton Watercolour Markers and just wash in a smooth background gradient with Pthalo Blue watercolor. But once I got started with the watercolors, I decided to go pen and watercolor.

By the time I finished the watercolor, he needed no pen accents and was done.

That happens sometimes with process. I used the little 5 x 7" Bockingford pad that came with the markers, a paper that's very sweet with them and has its own special feel and texture just as most good watercolor papers do. Now I know how it behaves with pure transparent watercolor. I found it easy to get crisp hard edges, soften edges, go wet into wet, it's lovely paper in its own right.

Winsor & Newton makes some specialized pads for use with the Watercolour Markers, but I was very happy with the performance of the Bockingford on previous uses. I have also bought full sheets in all five colors so this is going to be fun. I should probably trim them down and start using them.

Day 22: Red Peonies in Watercolor

Red Peonies in Watercolor

8" x 4" bas de page

Derived from yesterday's oil pastels painting, this quick study of the same flowers fills the bottom of the same page in my Stillman & Birn Beta watercolor journal - the 8 1/2" x 11" one. I've got a barrier sheet of tracing paper folded around the previous page to prevent the oil pastel from smearing onto the fruit still life in the milk glass dish and the colorful abstract below it.

So here's the entire Red Peonies page:

Red Peonies Page

I like the overall effect, even if they're a little offset from each other. One of the things I'm exploring in the larger journal is layout and using two or more paintings on the same page. This month has been exhilarating!

I've done daily art before and always enjoyed it, but this September's been a time for bold experiments and surprising discoveries. I've loosened up but also sometmes become more accurate in my sketching.  I've gotten better at composition and recognized that easier when I get it right.

It's a lot of fun! I'd recommend the challenge to anyone who feels like they're on a plateau with their art!