Gourd

Keeping along the lines of the pear I painted the other day, using a workshop / sample class from Anna Mason, I decided to take a prime point from her lesson and apply it to a gourd.  For me, the most important takeaway point was to settle the lightest and then move to the darkest, filling in the midtones once these two painting extremes are settled.  And then settle these again as the painting progresses.

Traditional watercolor dictates paint from light to dark.  For me, this is elusive.  It may be difficult for me as I have no depth perception (yeah, really!  I still function!).  So, this one little step helps me here – will it help doing plein air or other subject matter?

Finally, I am slowing down.  The pear I did earlier this week, and today’s gourd above – and even the pumpkin from the other day – took a couple to several hours.  It meant looking carefully, seeing light and dark, texture, gradations, and so many other things.  It will be interesting to see how these lessons affect future painting endeavors.