Category Archives: Gouache

Purple Tulips

Purple Tulips. 4 x 6 watercolor and gouache on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Purple Tulips. 4 x 6 watercolor and gouache on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

This painting came together quickly. Nice surprise that. I goofed on the right leaf. Big time goofed. Wrong color choice. I mixed a green that was much too blue. I re-wet the area, and lifted it out (Thanks CheyAnne for the reminder.)

Two more layers of green there, and it was feeling kind of blah. So I added another, and it just was not complimenting the other greens. So I tried a layer of white gouache. And another. And then it was too white.

Work in progress, too much white.

Work in progress, too much white.

If you take a look at tulip leaves, they often do have a white-ish, grayish cast to them. and are more on the blue side of green. But I really love the other greens, I did not want to change them at all.

The solution was to take some of the spring green that was still on my palette, and glaze over the leaf. Voila! You can see I also added some highlights to the bud on the right.

I am debating adding a brilliant color to the background. I was thinking of doing a series of four with the tulips in the previous post being the first. But I think that may detract from these flowers. I did a digital background, to try it out.

Purple tulips digital experiment

Purple tulips digital experiment

Maybe this color is not the right one. I am eager to hear your opinion. To add or not to add!

I am house sitting for friends this weekend, starting this afternoon. I apologize in advance, I may not be able to respond to comments or on Google+ until Monday.

Happy weekend y’all!

 

 

 

Day Eight – Keep It Simple

 

Lily. 6 x 6 Mixed media. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Lily. 6 x 6 Mixed media. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

I hit a wall last night. Worked for hours on a piece that went nowhere. Still working on it. Started this with leftover paint. Dripped some indigo, thinking it would be a landscape. Waiting for the paint to dry, I saw the simple form. My favorite flower.

Keep it simple stupid. K.I.S.S. You’re right Sandy… I went with the flow. Not really much transformation going on in this slide show, but it did take some work to smooth out the rough spots. The spadix looks dirty in some slides, and harsh in others. It is neither. I am thinking I may need to rework it and make it slender, but I like the way it echos the outer lines.

Don’t know what a spadix is? Neither did I until just now. Interesting, My favorite flower isn’t as simple as I thought.

From Yahoo answers:

Question- What is the yellow thing that sticks out of a Calla Lily?

It’s called the spadix. The colored foliage of the calla lily (what most people assume is the “flower” – the trumpet-shaped bit) is usually white or pastel colored. These outer colored leaves (trumpet) are known as spathes. The spadix – the middle thing or tapering yellow part – is the cone of actual tiny flowers.

I love the Calla Lily for its simplicity. Elegance, femininity, grace growing on strong stems. Worthy attributes.

Lily, Final. 6 x 6 Mixed media. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Lily, Final. 6 x 6 Mixed media. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Leslie Saeta is our host for the painting challenge, her piece today will make you think of summer. So breezy! Please visit Sea Dean to post your daily painting, or to vote on those posted. Prizes for the most active artist, AND the most active voter. You can vote for three artists each day.

 

Day Seven – 30 In 30 Featured Artist Interview

Naranjo. 8 x 8 Mixed Media on Canvas Panel. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Naranjo. 8 x 8 Mixed Media on Canvas Panel. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

This is alcohol inks, watercolor, and acrylic on canvas. I love the messiness. It started with just two big blobs, I had to carve out the shapes a bit, but they were all there. That is why the top “flower” doesn’t really match the others. I liked that shape, so I left it alone. I am debating taking out the leaf veins, I really like how they look in the first slide.

I have worked on this since before the challenge started. Thought I’d get a day or two ahead. HA! I think it might still need some more work. I am going to let it sit for a few days.

Naranjo. 8 x 8 Mixed Media on Canvas Panel. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Final, Naranjo. 8 x 8 Mixed Media on Canvas Panel. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

Leslie Saeta is our host for the painting challenge, I hope you will visit her site and browse today’s creations. Visit Sea Dean to post your daily painting, or to vote on those posted. Prizes for the most active artist, AND the most active voter. You can vote for three artists each day. That includes me, of course.

I just now noticed how strong the texture from the canvas is in these slides. It is not distracting in person.

Artist Cindy Williams is featuring artist interviews this month – and today is my day! Hope you will hop on over to her blog to take a look!