elly and buckley watercolor 1.30.2020

As part of my ongoing 2020 goal to finish all my WIP (work in process) paintings, I completed my oldest WIP! Yay me! I started this painting back in 2016. Before I had any watercolor instruction. The paper I used isn’t even watercolor paper. And the paper’s been taped to the board for so long that residual tackiness from the masking tape remains on the paper edge.

Elly and Buckley in Denver. Watercolor and pencil on bristol vellum, 14×17

Here’s the photo I referenced. I used the grid method for this painting. On an enlarged black and white copy of the photograph, I drew a pattern of even squares with pencil. I also marked off a grid pattern of larger squares onto the painting surface, then copied each square from the photocopy on to the painting paper.

Here’s a partial shot of the black and white photocopy with the grid penciled in.

Once I had the drawing blocked in, I used an enlarged color copy of the photo for color reference as I painted.

Although it’s clear to me now what and how I’d have painted differently, I still like the feel and look of this one. I think I used watercolor paint more like acrylic paint would be used. I didn’t let the watercolor paint do it’s magic watercolor thing, but then again, the paper I used, Bristol Vellum, didn’t allow for that. It’s a paper better suited to dry media – not watercolor. But still, I like this painting a lot. It’s got an amateur or primitive quality, and at the same time I think it captures the woman and her dogmate very well. Now, on to the next WIP!

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