In her wonderful book Watercolor: Painting Outside the Lines, Linda Kemp has an exercise in negative painting that produces a fanciful flower.
After laying in an initial wash of my three colors, I traced around a stencil with six petals for the flower head. I painted around that layer, using the colors that were already on the paper as a guide for the next layer. Trace, paint, trace, paint, and then imagine some leaves and a stem and another flower further back in the picture plane.
This was a fun painting to do on a rainy day when I couldn’t be outside painting the flowers that are starting to bloom in my garden!
What do you do on rainy days?
Oh, it’s lovely!!!
Just having fun playing! You play with words and I play with colors.
This is wonderful Ruth – there is a playful feel and I really like the color choices.
I have some favorite triads that I frequently use. This is a new one, as I was recently given a tube of quinacridone magenta. Phthalo blue and new gamboge round out the trio, although I am tempted to buy a tube of turquoise to try with the magenta.
A very nice combination.
Very beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration. Great colors too.
Yes, I’m really liking playing with these colors. Do you have a favorite combination?
Yes! Purples, mauves and yellows. And I like blues with yellows and orange too.
Sounds like you like the punch of the strong dark colors with the highlights of a complementary color.
You got it! A bit tricky not to make mud, but I love them.
I like the simplicity of your design, wonderful!
It’s a great exercise and you’ve kept the colours very fresh.
Wow! I love this – fresh, clean, cheerful, full of Spring sunshine! Great exercise.
On a rainy day? We’ve had so many! One thing I do not do is watch the grass grow.
Still, it grows, anyway! Ha.
Then a sunny, breezy day comes and dries it enough to mow it again 🙂
Loved the flowers. 🙂
Rainy days are usually high energy days for me.. because I’m unable to go outside/be distracted by the outdoors, I am able to focus 100 percent on my art…
i liked this exercise concept, and your results are great!
Thanks, z! Is there going to be another magic carpet ride anytime soon?
hey ruth! a friend has an opening show on may 1st in denver, and i pondered dusting off the magic carpet and heading in that direction. shall i pick you up?
O! Yes, please! I’ll wear my artsy black dress and bring hummus and veggies to share on the way.
hummus? it’s raining right now, but i don’t care.. i’m heading there now for hummus! i’ll swing over the andes and bring some quinoa..
: )