What's the saying? "The eyes are the window to the soul"? Maybe I spend too much time getting them right in my paintings but when done well, the subject comes alive! When that happens, I am spurred on to finish the painting. Here are the steps I use when painting eyes:

Step 1. Paint the iris color (burnt sienna in this example) being careful to save a highlight.


Step 2. Paint the dark pupil (payne's gray and burnt sienna) and outline the iris. Continue to save the highlight.


Step 3. Darken the iris at the top. The upper lid usually casts a shadow so this makes the eye more realistic.


Step 4. Define the area immediately outside the eye.


Step 5. Soften the outside right edge of highlight by lifting color with a stiff damp brush. Lift additional color within the pupil out onto the iris just below this highlight. Drop in a bit of soft blue on the outside right edges of the highlight. Now the eye looks wet and glass-like!  


The eyes have it!

Thanks for looking!! Jean :)

Here is my latest original watercolor and the step-by-step process. 

"Midwest Summer"
Original Watercolor
5" x 7"
Arches 300 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask (barn roof line, top of wind mill, distant fence posts, left of foreground fence posts, foreground grasses and Queen Ann's Lace) to protect whites. Paint the soft blue sky using a wet-into-wet background wash technique. As the shine just begins to leave the paper gently blot with a paper towel to create cloud formations.

Step 2. Paint the grassy areas, again using a wet-into wet wash technique. Keep the distant hill/horizon line lighter to help create a sense of depth. Keep the areas under the barn lighter too, to direct the viewer's eye. 


Step 3. Add the trees. I used a small natural sponge to add the hardwood trees next to and behind the barn. Intensify the value at the barn's roofline, again creating a sense of depth.  


Step 4. Add the foreground grasses, once again increasing the value to create depth.


Step 5. Remove the mask from the barn. Add the first layers of color on the barn. Here I choose purple if the area will be shaded and yellow if the area will be bright.  I used a soft blue on the roof.


Step 6. Layer red over the barn once the previous washes have dried. Add a bit more value on the roof too. Now the barn is starting to take shape! 


Step 7. Add the detail to the barn (windows, door, & missing siding). Remove the rest of the mask.


Step 8. Paint the fence posts, grasses, and Queen Ann's Lace in the foreground. Add the finishing touches such as the old weathered wind mill and distant fence line.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my recent work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing:

Midwest Summer

Blessings,
Jean

Here is my latest original watercolor and the step-by-step process. 

"Bluebird Sentry"
Original Watercolor
7" x 5"
Arches 300 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask to protect foreground whites. 


Step 2. Paint the background using a wet-into-wet wash method (wet paper first, then apply paint). I used Green Gold and a mixture of Hooker's Green with Royal Blue. Use a rigger brush to add soft background grasses just as the shine begins to leave the paper.


Step 3. At this point the green gold base looked too yellow and distracting to me. I re-wet the paper with a soft spray bottle and gently applied a bit of burnt sienna at the base to calm the yellow down. Remove the mask to expose the white paper for the foreground.
  

Step 4. Begin developing the foreground subjects by applying light layers of color. Notice the soft yellows and blues on the bird. Although his final colors will be deeper these foundation layers give him more depth and a pleasing finish. I remain careful to save and emphasize light. In this painting I choose to show light coming from the top and left.


Step 5. Continue layering more intense color on the bluebird. Here I actually "sketch" with my paint brush as I paint, laying in feathers and saving light. 


Step 6. Spatter the fence post to add texture. Add the finishing detail work. I decided to spray the base of the painting with Cobalt Blue so that the light around the bird would be emphasized.


Thank you for this opportunity to share my recent work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing:

Bluebird Sentry

Blessings,
Jean

Here is this week's original watercolor and the step-by-step process. Once again, I hope you will find the progression of this painting to be interesting:

"Robin Returns"
Original Watercolor
5" x 7"
Arches 300 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask to protect foreground whites. 


Step 2. Paint the background using a wet-into-wet wash method (wet paper first, then apply paint). I used Green Gold and a mixture of Sap Green with Burnt Sienna. Drop in the suggestion of background blooms (Perm. Rose) just as the shine begins to leave the paper. Use a rigger brush to add soft background tree brances at this point too. Remove the mask, exposing the white paper saved in the foreground.


Step 3. Soften some of the hard masking edges by scrubbing with a stiff damp brush and blotting. Begin developing the foreground subjects by applying light layers of color. Notice the soft yellow, red, and blue on the bird. Although his final colors witll be mostly shades of gray these foundation layers will give him more depth and a pleasing finish. I remain careful to save and emphasize light. In this painting I choose to show light coming from the top and right. 


Step 4. Continue layering more intense color on the foreground subjects. Add finishing detail work. 


Thank you for this opportunity to share my weekly work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing:

Robin Returns

Blessings,
Jean

Here is this week's original watercolor. Once again, I hope you will find the progression of this painting to be interesting and informative:

"Ruby Throated Hummingbird & Morning Glory"
Original Watercolor
7" x 5"
Arches 140 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask to protect foreground whites. 


Step 2. Paint the background using a wet-into-wet wash method (wet paper first, then apply paint). I used Green Gold (for the lights) and a mixture of Hooker's Green with Royal Blue (for the darks). Drop in the suggestion of background Morning Glory blooms (Perm. Rose) just as the shine begins to leave the paper. Remove the mask, exposing the white paper saved in the foreground.


Step 3. Soften some of the hard masking edges by scrubbing with a stiff damp brush and blotting (look at the hummingbird's wings). Begin developing the foreground subjects by applying light layers of color. Here I remain careful to save and emphasize light. In this painting I choose to show light coming from the top and left. 


Step 4. Continue layering more intense color on the foreground subjects. Add detail. Spray the bottom right Morning Glory bloom with blue to emphasize lighting on the hummingbird.


Thank you for this opportunity to share my weekly work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing:

Ruby Throated Hummingbird & Morning Glory

Blessings,
Jean

Here is this week's original watercolor, "Take Me to the Beach." At first glance this painting might look "simpler" than last week's. Follow the progression below and I think you will soon agree this piece actually required additional steps and techniques to get to the finish line! 

"Take Me to the Beach"
Original Watercolor
7" x 5"
Arches 140 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask to protect foreground whites. I masked the 3 cresting waves, tall foregound grasses, a few scattered grasses in the mounds and the fence posts. 


Step 2. Paint the sky using a wet-into-wet wash method (wet paper first, then apply paint). I used dilute puddles of blue (Cobalt and Peacock), red (Permanent Red), and yellow (New Gamboge). I created the clouds by gently blotting paint away with a paper towel (just as the shine begins to leave the paper). 


Step 3. Paint the water. I used the wet-into-wet method again and applied Green Gold first at the edge of the beach. Then I continued painting toward the horizon line using Peacock and Cobalt, strengthing the value as I reached the horizon. Here I also added soft violet in the cloud forms to give them a bit more dimension. 


Step 4. Paint the sand. This is not an intuitive color. I used very dilute puddles of yellow and red (orange) and added a bit of blue (Cobalt) and Burnt Sienna. I concentrated on keeping the center pathway area brighter (more yellow) so this would lead the viewer into the painting. 


Step 5. I used a toothbrush to spatter a bit of paint on the sand (covering the top portion of my painting with a paper towel first). This gives the sand some texture. I limited the spattering in the center, again, to emphasize the light there.


Step 6. Remove all the masking fluid. Soften the hard edges of the cresting waves by scrubbing with a damp stiff brush and blotting. Softly paint the birds in light violet. Paint the fence posts and add the wire detail. Paint the tall sea grasses. Use a fan brush to paint the grass mounds. I used Green Gold first and then added darker greens for grasses on top.


Thank you once again for this opportunity to share my weekly work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing: "Take Me to the Beach"

Blessings,
Jean

I must admit, I have resisted jumping on the "blog bandwagon."  What do I possibly have to write about that others might find useful or interesting? I'm going to put my toe in the water and begin a blog, "Weekly Watercolor." My goal is to paint an original 5" x 7" watercolor every week, taking photos of the painting as it develops. I'll comment on techniques I use. Upon completion, I'll list each painting on eBay for a 7 day auction. I hope you will find the progression of these paintings to be interesting and in the process become a frequent reader of this blog. If a particular painting speaks to you, I hope you'll consider bidding on it at eBay. Here's this week's painting:

"Hummingbirds and Thistle"
Original Watercolor
7" x 5"
Arches 140 lb. Cold Pressed Paper

Step 1. Sketch and mask to protect foreground whites. I added additional leaves (without sketching) during the masking process because the composition looked a bit sparse to me at this point.


Step 2. Paint the background using a wet-into-wet wash method (wet paper first, then apply paint). Drop in the suggestion of background thistle just as the shine begins to leave the paper. Remove the mask, exposing the white paper saved in the foreground.


Step 3. Soften some of the hard masking edges by scrubbing with a stiff damp brush and blotting (look at the hummingbirds' wings). Begin developing the foreground subjects by applying light layers of color. Here I remain careful to save and emphasize light . In this painting I choose to show light coming from the top and left. 


Step 4. Continue layering more intense color on the foreground subject Add detail. Spray the bottom right corner with blue to emphasize lighting on the hummingbirds.


Thank you for this opportunity to share my weekly work with you. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Like what you see? Make it yours! Here is the eBay listing:

Hummingbirds & Thistle

Blessings,
Jean