Painting a Fearless garden landscape

Each week I teach online painting classes forSpokane Community college. My goal,  in these programs, is to help my students be inspired, use their imagination and paint Fearlessly! Today's blog is about finding new ways to paint an old bike in a beautiful garden. 

This inspiration, I found while wondering around The Rosarium Garden Center in Spokane, WA. I thought this photo would be a challenging,but fun project for my spring watercolor class.

I began this program by creating a detailed drawing on 300 lb cold press watercolor paper that I previously brushed a diluted mixture of water and gesso over. I like to "gesso" my paper before painting with watercolors, because the diluted gesso makes my watercolor paper "forgiving". I can paint and still lift off even dark saturated pigments like pthalo blue.

In this painting, I chose to use the following hues: hansa and new gamboge yellows, alizarin and vermillion reds, pthalo and ultramarine blues and to created the thin light lines of the bike's spokes, I pulled out from my supplies my "gesso juice" which is a mixture of water, acrylic matte medium and gesso.

I began this painting project by wetting my paper and then with a toothbrush I splattered my reds,yellows and some pthalo blue onto the damp paper. Letting this first step dry, I began the process of layering washes of colors to bring out my subject.

In this work, I have chosen to paint abstractly in the background,but use more representational techniques for the foreground bicycle.

Creating patterns is one of the most fun things to do with watercolors paints! I use the tip of my brushes to create leaf and other plant patterns.Working with a mixture of my yellows and blues I have started the process of painting an abstracted background. Sometimes my patterns make a painting too busy, so I wash a diluted glaze layer using an analogous color to soften a region.

I find taking intermittant photos of my painting progress. Taking a black and white photo helps me to see "values". By studying the values, I am better able to decide what will be my next painting steps.

Slowly, I build up my dark values by repeatedly adding layers of paint. I work to create a full range of lights to darks in order to further develop my imagery. In my next close-up, you can see some of the small "jewels" of dark strokes and how I added lights to my painting.

To create the thin white lines of the bicycles spokes, I used a piece of cardboard on which I painted the edge of the card with my opaque white- gesso juice. I then "printed" the painted edge by gently touching the watercolor paper with the edge of cardboard leaving a thin white line behind on the surface.

I also mixed a little of my watercolor pigments, on a paper plate, with some of my "gesso juice" to create opaque tints, which I used to top dress light tint marks on my folliage.

My next value photo "told" me that I should push my darks a bit more. At the same time, I felt that should "clean up" some of the edges on my bike.

Enter Winsor & Newton watercolor pro- markers. These markers are wonderful!

They are filled with a watercolor pigment and can be adjusted with clean water and my brushes.

Using these markers with their thin tip, I am able to sharpen , outline and define the edges of my bicycle, plants and anywhere where I desire a " hard" edge. I used these markers to add details in my foliage, around the bicycle and flowers. 

I am now happy with my completed painting. Since I have nothing left to say about this subject matter, I am signing this painting and calling it done.

I hope that you have enjoyed painting Fearlessly with me!  If you would like to learn more about painting the "Fearless way" with me, I invite you to visit my website art classes page. I teach online and in person. 

You can even give the gift of a private online class to your favorite artist!

Happy painting, my Fearless friends!!