This painting has been taped to the drawing board for over a year awaiting the time I was ready to tackle painting such a large watercolor, let alone a wc portrait of this size. I've been intimidated by the mere size of the piece, as well as not knowing how to proceed with the actual painting.
However, after having such a fun time painting the two small wc portraits (Daniel and Rebecca) last week, I was emboldened to attempt this one of a thoughtful woman at peace with herself and her world. The following photographs will depict the process of this painting over the course of a few days.
These first few photos show how wet the watercolor paper needs to be to create a blended background and allow for the grounding colors to merge into the paper. This painting is done on 300# Arches watercolor paper, taped to a piece of contac-covered foam core for added stability. Once you wet the paper, the paper needs to be well supported if you wish to have some control over the work. Much of the initial work on this (and most of my paintings) piece is done in a wet-on-wet technique of watercolor painting. I do keep the painting at a slight angle so the paint drifts downward on the paper allowing for a directional blending of the background.
The next few photos give you an idea of how a painting is developed, layer by layer, color by color, with each layer adding depth and dimension to the work.
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