This is pretty much a continuation of the previous post. I worked on two paintings at the same time, and it was a very interesting learning experience. Here are the progress pictures of the 9x12 almost three-quarter figure portrait of a lady in Icelandic national costume. As usual, I started with sketches. This one was only one sketch that I altered many times trying to decide on the background (the reference photo, taken in a studio, has a very boring tan-beige-taupe-bleh background). On a totally irrational impulse, I made the background red. Maybe as a response to the boredom of the background in the photo?
The red.
The gold.
The gold in different light.
Well, this was the "fire" part of The Land of Fire and Ice, and most people I consulted (including those of you who so kindly left a comment to my post about it) felt that the figure disappeared in the intense red and/or gold background. So I tried the "ice" side of it, together with a mossy-medowy green:
Dark green.
Light green.
And we finally settled on the background above, a hint at the glaciers and the grasses. On to the drawing and blocking out the lace with masking fluid:
(and no, I don't like masking.. or doing details in general. I like splashing paint.)
A lot of detail for a 9x12" painting.
First wash.
Some more work.
Almost there.
And the completed painting:
9x12" Watercolor on paper.
In addition to learning a couple more things about working small in watercolor (hands were hard!) and spending hours figuring stuff out with an anatomy book (granted, I love doing that), I expanded my knowledge about Iceland beyond Bjork and volcanoes :) a little.
Question: how do you change a large area in a watercolor painting (like the background in those sketches) without painful scrubbing out and washing off?
Answer: Cover it with acrylic gesso and paint on top!(that's what I did) Or use gouache. Or acrylics. Or pastels :)