A couple of months ago I added a post about my watercolor painting experience (in a few months I'll celebrate my first anniversary of painting with watercolor) and today I'd like to share my progress again focusing on beautiful birds.
Why birds? Because for me it is an opportunity to get deeper into details on a small sheet of paper and at the same time an endless opportunity to try endless combinations of different techniques enjoying the beauty of these creatures.
More info: Instagram
Bleedings on wet in wet technique is definitely something the only watercolor can do. But using it as a more "graphy" technique lets you get deeper into details. Working on each feather of these colorful birds definitely takes time and patience (something I would only dream about a few months ago).
May 2016 vs. January 2017. My friends on Instagram saying: "Oh, come on! These are just different styles!". I like this excuse, but honestly, both in May and in January I wanted to get the same beautiful paintings.
Painting white using watercolor is my favorite thing. In fact white is never white - it hides so many different shades! For instance, painting this white raven I used ultramarine, burnt umber, and vermilion hue. And I finally learned how to do a realistic painting!
Another challenge is entourage. To make it informative but don't let it overweight the main drawing idea.
Sometimes these colorful paintings might seem easy to execute. But believe me, it doesn't always happen right away. A couple of months ago I wrote that it's all about using the right tools such as paper/paints etc. But the most important tool is the self-criticism.