New 17x21 painting

I took a day or two off after finishing the covered bridge and started into another painting. This is at Linda's request and is different than my usual and a bit off beat. Thank you Nancy for the use of your photograph. We cropped the original a bit to make it more interesting as a painting.

Step 1 - study the subject, understand it, take it apart in your mind.

Step 2 - Because of the very interesting angles I sketched this several times just to get a feel.
Step 3 - draw on the watercolor paper.

I knew I wanted to do washes across the painting instead of painting around the areas that needed to be saved.  I rarely use misket/maskoid/frisket (used to prevent paper from absorbing color and to keep certain areas white, paint it on and then paint over it and later rub it off) but this painting called for it.  Now is a good time to tell you traditionally watercolor artist do not use white paint.  I learned not to use it from the very beginning however after seeing the watercolor masters exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art a few years ago I noticed they used it but called it body color.  I still do not use it and encourage my students not to use it.  In all my painting any white is the white of the paper.  It does require understanding light.

Step 4 - start laying on the under washes.  This is what sets my paintings apart from other watercolors. The under color that bleeds through.  Watercolor stains the paper and is always there.



OK. I was really into it and forgot to photo as I was painting.  Obviously I moved along.
You may not be able to pick out my original under colors but they change the shades of grey/black.  I never use black out of the tube.  I mix to and layer to get the shades I want.