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| 1st try - Original painting 2nd try - new painting revisiting original idea. |
That's what happened with my latest painting. I could clearly visualize the piece in my head but when I started painting, it just didn't work out. The colors didn't give that mossy misty forest that I was looking for, and my tree bark was too linear and lifeless. I thought I could save it by lighting but once I started that part I knew it wasn't going to work. So I ditched it before I spent anymore time on it.
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| The Wayfarers, 6 x 6 inches, Gouache & Ink on paper, © Nicole Gustafsson 2012 |
Here's the new and improved version that I am much happier with. The color and lighting adjusted to give that mossy forest feel, and the tree bark texture looser and rougher.
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| The Wayfarers (detail), © Nicole Gustafsson 2012 |
I used to get pretty bummed when something didn't turn out right or I wasn't "feeling it". Now I just set it aside and wait a little bit and try again on a new piece of paper. (Getting a new piece of paper helps wipe the slate clean. When I used thicker paper I would just turn it over. Try to "cover up" the existing painting doesn't work to well).
Sometimes when I post in-progress shots in real time on my facebook page people sometimes remark remark "gosh that was fast" but what they don't know is that there was a whole other painting before it that I had the feeling just wasn't going right!
Stay tuned next week for my blog tutorial on techniques and materials!
4 comments:
Ooo - I love artist tutorials/behind the scenes info. Looking forward seeing what you post next week. :D
This might be one of my favorite posts yet.
I absolutely cannot wait for your tutorial and supply post!
This painting turned out beautifully and it probably turned out even better than if you would have started with the colors you wanted in the first place. Working through a piece can really loosen you up.
Beautiful!! Yes I find it super hard to slow down and take photos - it's like "rough sketch" then "done" :D
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