The Evolution of a Watercolor Painting
The “I have a great idea!” Phase
It all starts with an idea. A dramatic shadow that stops me in my tracks. The way the light is hitting something. An image that brings up memories or fantasies. Something comforting. Something fun. Something mysterious. Literally anything that sparks a little fire in my soul.
We live in a time where we have cameras in our phones and our phones are with us 24/7. My friends and family are well aware that when we’re together I might just stop and start taking pictures, so they pause and wait for me to catch up. So nice of them.
I have thousands of pictures in my files. Not all will become paintings, but some will. Some things I’ve learned over the years for good reference photos are to pay attention to the lighting, the angles, and making sure you have a clear photo with everything you want in the shot. Some editing can be done later as long, but you can’t change the angle you shot the photo at.
The “I’m setting the stage” Phase
Watercolor is a difficult medium to correct late in the process. One huge reason is our “white” traditionally is the paper, not white paint. That means that if you want something light or white, you have to avoid painting in that area, which is easier said than done.
You can also only lay so many layers of paint on before it starts becoming muddy or messy.
Although it may seem like overkill, I’ve painted my best watercolor paintings after doing value sketches, color exploration, and watercolor sketches. As long as I have a strong composition and values, I have a good chance of ending up with a good painting.
The “This is going to be great” Phase
Starting the painting! After I get the composition and sketches complete, I’m excited, confident, and ready to go! A blank piece of paper can be intimidating, but also exhilarating. I block in all the pieces of the painting start building up form and values.
The comes…dun dun dun…
The “I want to light this on Fire” Phase
This happens to all artists, but I didn’t know that. When I started out, it sometimes made me stop for weeks at a time…or not finish at all. I thought it was me and that I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be. However, as I kept painting and pushing through this difficult phase I noticed a pattern - about half way through painting I reach a place where my brain says, “I want to light this on fire.”
Some artists call this the “messy middle” or the “ugly stage.” It’s the stage of the painting where you’re making progress, but it doesn’t yet look like it did in your head and you don’t know if you can get it there.
For me, I always think “I want to light this on fire.” I’ve seen the pattern and now when I have that thought, I know I’m halfway there and I can push through it. I always want to light it on fire, but I never have!
The “I can salvage this” Phase
After I’ve pushed through the most difficult stage and I’m determined to finish it, I gather up my resolve to keep going.
The main cause of the “light this on fire” stage, at least for me, is that everything is kind of mid-tone and there aren’t a ton of details. This makes absolute sense - I’m laying the layers, building up form, and details come last.
This phase is the most fun. I really start laying in the dark darks, finish building up the form, and finally add the details. The value contrasts and details make the painting really come together after all of the ground work has been done.
The “This turned out pretty good!” Phase
When I think I *might* be done, I put the painting on some time of ledge where I can see it while I walk around the house. I leave it there for a couple days and sleep on it. Sometimes when I’m too close to a project I can’t think clearly. I need time and space to see it with fresh eyes to see if there’s anything else I want to do to it. This helps me not overwork it and make good choices on how to finish it.
And voilà, you have a finished painting! It’s a roller coaster…every. single. time. But once you understand the ups and downs of your unique process, you’ll get in the flow of the patterns and learn to navigate the highs and the lows.
Happy painting!
Lisa