Original watercolour painting "Under the Sun" and painting progress stages:
When I have an idea for a new painting, I like to make a rough sketch of it and try out some colours on a piece of scrap, or sketch paper. Once I've chosen the the right colours, I make a better drawing and transfer it onto watercolour paper.
When my final drawing is on the watercolour paper, I think about what I'm going to paint first. In this case, I painted the first layer of the horse's body, then the background.
When the first layers had dried, I wasn't pleased with the hard line that had formed around the mane and tail, so I got out my Mr. Clean magic eraser (which works like a charm to lift up colour) and softened those edges.
I continued to work on the horse's body, building up shadows and form. Then I added another layer to the background, but I didn't like how it looked... something about it just didn't work for me. So, again, I got my magic eraser, and gently lifted up the background (mainly the orange around the horse). Once I did that, all was good again. Yay! :)
When I had finished the body, I decided to glaze yellow onto the background, and add white details to the horse with a gel pen.
I wanted the painting to have the feeling of strong and hot sunlight... not sure if I succeeded, but it was a great learning experience. Nothing is a loss if it taught you something! :)
All feedback, and constructive criticism is welcome, and appreciated!
Wishing you peace,
Cheyenne