More watercolour expertise coming your way!
Watercolour often needs a second coat. It dries quite a bit lighter than the
initial wash no matter how strong it might be. The first layer of colour is a
lot of fun. When I am doing a large block of dark I mix a base wash as intense
as I can without it becoming cream which tends to sit on the surface instead of
being absorbed into the paper. To this intensity I add even stronger colour
straight out of the pan, again with enough liquid to be absorbed. The colours
run together and I have minimal control. I let it dry in interesting patterns.
The first photo shows the result of such a powerful first round. For the second
coat it is all about negative space and creating the illusion of complexity. As
you can see, I am very selective about where I place the darker shapes and how
they are formed. There does not have to be a complete inventory of every leaf,
rather a suggestion is much more pleasing to the eye. In fact I left the top leaves alone. Letting the eye imagine the complexity within the first patterning beckons the viewer into
participation. Life is so good.
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