Whimsical Water

 Watercolors are of course a good medium for water scenes due to their naturally fluid nature and their transparency. There are also techniques using watercolors involving layering colors, using masks and dabbing up for highlights which create the effect of water very nicely with this kind of paint. The picture here is a fun underwater fantasy created from objects that I was looking at, such as the shells, and created sea characters mostly out of my memory of aquariums. The difference in the objects shows I think. However this creates some childlike quality to the piece. Adults as well as children often enjoy a bit of whimsy. I know that I do.

Sometimes I like to create a painting just to play with the paint. These experiments for me often look like children's illustrations. I think that deep down I am just a kid at heart. Try being playful with some paintings. It will keep you from taking yourself so seriously, and you will enjoy the process of all your painting more I think. A good exercise is playing with the way different paints layer on top of one another when dry. There are articles that you can read on which pigments are permanent and which are not, but sometimes, just creating your own notebook of experiments can be more valuable in the long run.

I started this painting by experimenting with long strips of masking tape over the whole length of the paper. This was to emphasize the vertical aspect of the painting as well as give the eye some identity with the water grasses. You can see this best in the bottom of the picture by the shells. Most of my paintings are experiments of one way or another. I want to learn something in my process. I think something might work, so I try it. Hope you do too. Happy painting!

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