Fearless Friday, “Sand Dune” & World Watercolor Month Wrap-up
I enjoyed doing watercolor paintings for the World Watercolor Month July challenge
I didn’t manage to do one everyday, but I did do 25 small watercolors…joining a challenge is a great way to make sure you have time for a little art in your day!
I painted on an Arteza 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper pad, which I highly recommend. It’s high quality, yet affordable, great for everyday experimentation and painting for fun. You can get a pack of 2 from Amazon here
I tried to push myself and try new techniques subjects outside of my comfort zone, like today’s portrait of my grandson playing in the sand
My sons grew up playing on this same sand dune, adjacent to our beach house deck, and it makes my heart sing to watch my grandsons now playing there too…
I decided to be fearless and try a watercolor rendering without a pencil sketch
Here’s a trick I sometimes use to help establish the tonal values of a painting, I import it to PicMonkey {or use your preferred photo editor} and try different effects on the photo. I used the Posterize effect on this photo
It makes it easy to see the darkest darks, the lightest lights, and all the mid-tones, as well as simplifying the shapes
I painted the clothing first
Then added his head and body
Next came hair and flesh tones, and a little work on the toy truck
Adding the facial features was scary, but I didn’t over think it, I tried to just suggest what I saw with a minimum of strokes
More colors, details and strokes suggesting the sand dune…
“Sand Dune” 9″ x 12″ watercolor on paper
Here are the other paintings I did for the July challenge
Watercolor can be a tricky medium
Not as forgiving as other mediums, but it’s also full of happy surprises and cool effects…
Plus, it’s not messy, dries quickly and it is easy to set up anywhere
Have fun creating and Be Fearless!
🎨🎨🎨
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Meal Plan Monday Dishing it & Digging it, Between Naps on the Porch,
Merry Monday Make it Pretty Monday Celebrate and Decorate,
Tasty Tuesday Oh My Heartsie Girl Full Plate Thursday
RSS - Posts
What a treasure to have captured your darling grandson in watercolor. I have loved everyone of your watercolors this month. Twenty five of them is quite amazing. Happy weekend, Jenna!
thank you so much Pam, I appreciate your support!
What special memories of your sons playing on the dunes and then seeing your grands there, love the watercolor. And, what a great tip using the photo editor. I think you’ve captured summer with all your paintings. That was a great challenge!
thank you Emily! I can’t believe it’s almost time for school to start, where did summer go???
You ARE fearless, and it is beautiful! Feel the love! Happy World Watercolor Month celebration! You did amazing!!!
Thank you Jodi! My daughter doesn’t like the painting, she said he’s much cuter than that mom! Ha, he really is but he was squinting in the photo so that’s what I painted…I’m going to try again to paint her something she likes better 🙂
That looks amazing!! Your watercolors are just beautiful. By the way – he is just too cute!
Thank you Michelle!
Jenna….you never cease to amaze me and now this watercolor of your grandson is perfect. You captured everything about him and to think your grands are playing the same way your sons did.
That is so precious and what a loving memory. 25!!!! even more amazing. hugs my friend
Thank you Kari! My daughter doesn’t love it, she said “Mom, he’s so much cuter than that!” Which is actually true, but I was painting it from the photo and he was squinting because of sun…I’m going to try doing some more…thanks for your kind words!
A beautiful collection of watercolors, Jenna!! The painting of your grandson is awesome!! 💚😀🎨
thank you! I rarely paint people, so I was making myself do something new…it’s not perfect but it gave me confidence to try more 🙂
Your paintings are so happy, I love the boys—we have two—and as adults they look wistfully at the sandbox—as that was always their favorite pastime!
Oh how sweet!! Yes, nothing like a big pile of sand! Thanks Sandra!
Jenna you have captured your grandson so beautifully! I am astonished of all your watercolors! They are all done so well and are fabulous!
thank you Nancy, I want to try doing more children, probably in acrylic…
He really is a cutie-pie and I think you did well considering you said you don’t usually paint people. Well done on all your paintings for this awesome challenge. I like your tenacity. 😉
thanks Cyndi, I think I burned myself out, haven’t picked up a paint brush since last week 🙂
Love the tip to use the posterize effect to break down the tones for your watercolor Jenna! Bravo on Charlie Brown’s portrait! ♥
I love to play with different effects on photos, and of course Waterlogue would have been even better, I should have thought of that!
Reblogged this on Country Crafting & The Simple Life and commented:
I use Pic Monkey and the app Painnt
I love every painting you shared for the challenge. I know what you mean about portraits. They are WAY out of my comfort zone. It’s one thing to draw a person and another to draw a person that not only looks like how they should but that catches that special spark. Bravo to you!