This is another demo from my
Loosen Up with Aquamedia Painting Workshop - How I start painting a vase of flowers using two techniques -
"Making a Mess" and
"Wiping Away".
Keeping the start loose and abstract, I splatter and dribble splashes of clean colors all over a sheet of pre-gessoed watercolor paper. Prior to splashing, I covered the paper with a mid tone of a warm orange-yellow acrylic, Let dry.
Next, I decide on the overall silhouette shape of a vase holding a bouquet of loose flowers. The composition of the painting is determined by this silhouette. I load my brush with an opaque color and paint out the parts that don't look like the vase and flowers -
I am basically painting the background.
Once the graphic shape has been determined, I brush in the key focal point flower, referring to my color wheel's focal point color. The next step is adding the two spice colors right next to the focal point color.
Now I continue painting some more - moving my brush all over the surface of the painting, adding and subtracting color shapes - until the painting becomes less abstract and appears to look like a very loose interpretation of my original intentions.
The second technique is "wiping away" also known as reductive, or negative shape painting.
In the demo you see me brush a very dark color on top of pre-gessoed watercolor paper. You can use any type of surface for this technique.
Once the whole surface is covered with very wet, dark paint, I immediately sprinkle
isopropyl alcohol all over. This creates small, white ringlets that just may look like the beginnings of flowers. This is a fun effect! Now, continuing on the overall vase shape - I wipe away the still wet dark background color to make the vase shape and body of the bouquet.
The rest of my time, I scrape lines (with my fingers!) and maybe add color where I see fit.
Remember, these are simple ways to start loose.
I suggest doing many - a series - at this stage and let dry. After all have dried, go back and add color. But don't stay on these paint sketches too long or you might kill the spontaneous feeling. Don't overpaint -
I've heard, even a cowboy knows this... when the horse dies, get off.
I'll finish on a happy note - A vase of flowers is a spot of sunshine in your home. Make your painting say the same!