For this week vidéo, i’m keeping the spring theme, or more the transition toward spring theme, with this lovely bouquet of primroses emerging from the snow.
My reference picture (thanks Mom) is very simple. The subject, primroses, is well framed by the snow. It looks like an easy painting coming, and without lots of worries. And yet. I have had so much trouble with this picture ! First it was the colors that were problematic. In my first study, i’ve tried to follow the colors i was seeing in the picture. But these are quite dark flowers against a dark background. Dark + dark = no contrast and a very dull painting. But there is something to learn from it : i should do more studies with just one colors and looking for values in my image !
In a second study, it was my composition that was lacking of dynamique and unity. But well, i was looking for trouble there as i was painting a square subject in a rectangular sheet of paper ! And even this problematic composition is not something that you see right away, it broke the dynamic and it looks like my flower are just laying there next to each other without something linking them.
And sadly my last attempt (the video) doesn’t combine all the good points of my studies. I made mistakes again with my composition and there is something still lacking ans i can’t point what. Even if i’m not totally happy with this painting for now, i will not try again. I will move on, paint something else and when all my frustration disappear i will come back to this subject and maybe i’ll be able to paint what’s in my head !
Watercolor primroses in video
Supplies :
Brushes : Escoda Aquario nº18, Silver Brush Black velvet 1/4″ dagger shape, Raphaël le 803 nº2, Raphaël 903 nº12.
Paper : Arches rough.
Colors : Indanthrene blue (Sennelier), Quinacridone gold (Daniel Smith), Rose madder lake (Sennelier), Lunar blue (Daniel Smith).
And here you have the finished painting (click to enlarge) :
