Experimenting with colour

















I thought I should put something on this blog as it's been such a long time since the last post! This is the colour version of a sketch I did a while ago. I felt at the time both the drawings lacked colour but now I've added it, it's not as I imagined - in time I'm hoping to make my watercolours look fresher, less controlled than this. I coloured it partly from memory (those leaves had long since died) and partly from a cutting so the result is not too good - I realised too late I had painted light coming from different directions!














Some Sunday sketches. This Honeysuckle is done in watercolour pencils on cartridge paper. I was going to spritz it with water to see what happened but changed my mind, thought it best to leave well enough alone!

















I'd never tried this before, adding watercolour to a pencil sketch on light cartridge paper, but it was interesting. The colours look quite dull, almost like an old Victorian illustration, and I was surprised that the paper didn't buckle. I'm in two minds about how it turned out but it was enjoyable to do.





















All were drawn outdoors apart from the top drawing and as it was a hot day I found it quite difficult with the heat and the glare on the paper, even though I was sitting in the shade. Although I take lots of photos of plants, there is no substitute for painting from life. That too can be challenging when the petals are either opening or closing for the day as these Whirligigs were!



















Line drawings of the different Passiflora leaves.


















Finally a doodle in watercolour using the Masquepen. I don't normally post doodles but they seem to be going better than my other efforts at the moment!

Comments

Claudia said…
Don't be so strict and severe with you!Your watercolours are magnificent!
Claudia said…
P.S. Sometimes, I find it easier to paint (draw?) with watercolour pencils than with watercolour, especially when painting flowers. I think you can add details more easily with the wc pencils than with a fine brush...
M. Hassan said…
Amazing Felicity
The black ground made it more beautiful.
caseytoussaint said…
Wow, Felicity, your watercolors are just lovely. Didn't you just start doing this a short time ago? Amazing, you're an inspiration.
MILLY said…
The first creeper is beautiful, looks really delicate and placed so elegantly on the page. Your outsde work is lovely, to add to that , you have to put up with insects landing on your paper. You have captured them all so well.
juj said…
I agree with Claudia - you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. I think the first drawing is absolutely lovely. Yes, it's controlled, but it works beautifully.
Rissa said…
Wow and my first reaction when I looked at the larger version of the first watercolor was that it looks like a professional botanical illustration...seriously! Your work is just fabulous and I am so glad to see you post again!
Robyn Sinclair said…
Felicity - I think that vine is so good. Your control is a big element of the beauty of your style, as I see it. I never look at your work and think 'tight' - I always think what great control you have of pencil or brush and envy your results. So there! The honeysuckle is very pretty too - as are they all.

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