# Nelson Watercolor #1



## Scott R Nelson (Jun 26, 2013)

I've decided to start sharing my watercolor paintings with you guys - about once a week. I'm still in learning mode. I did this one after taking a watercolor class and learning a new technique, which inspired me a bit. I didn't understand how to get deep colors and high contrast before taking the class.

These are Plumeria flowers from a photograph I took in Maui a few years ago. It is surprisingly tricky to get the shape right on Plumeria. All of the dark sections were done _before_ the light sections, which is opposite of how most "art experts" say you should paint things using watercolor.


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## DLeeG (Oct 20, 2010)

I like it. You are good.


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## meesh (Dec 30, 2013)

The details on the flowers is absolutely beautiful! I think maybe you gave up a little with the details on the leaves. I've done a few things starting with darker details. You've done this absolutely wonderfully. Look forward to another showing.


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## Scott R Nelson (Jun 26, 2013)

One of the things the course instructor told me that helped with the dark colors was to mix the paint so that it is the consistency of gravy. That and underpainting the area with some other color if you want to make leaf veins. I had read about using the other end of a brush to make lines in darker paint, but after seeing it done it made a lot more sense. This was my first time trying it on an original painting. Next time I need to study leaves a bit more closely to get them to be a bit more accurate.

I can say one thing about painting flowers - at least for me - I learn a lot about what that type of flower really looks like, and the leaves too.

When I get to painting #3 I'll have something else to say about dark colors and paint with the consistency of gravy.


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## pencils (Feb 10, 2012)

Here are some things I see after looking at the painting a few times...all the lines on the leaves are the same...same color, pretty much the same size and shape. What I`d do if it were mine is darken the lines as the go back into the distance as well as eliminate many of the lines, sometimes too much detail in a painting like this can distract, sometimes all thats needed is a suggestion of detail. Plus...the lines are very flat across the leaves, when I add details I always follow the shape of what I`m working on....some of the lines here follow the shape of the leaf while others are very flat, especially the leaf immediately to the right of the flowers...as they get closer to the center line of the leaf I think they would not be as flat, would bend toward the center....hope I am explaining this well, and since you didn`t really ask me what I thought you can just ignore everything I said but I`ve been doing this for a while and you know, drawing what you are going to paint first can really help set the scene when you are ready to start a painting.


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## DLeeG (Oct 20, 2010)

Finally pencils is making sense.


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## Scott R Nelson (Jun 26, 2013)

pencils said:


> Here are some things I see after looking at the painting a few times...


Thanks.

As I mentioned, this was a learning experience, as is pretty much everything I'm doing at this point. It's clear that I could do better leaves, and that's something that I'm trying to learn to do.

I'm trying some new technique with every painting that I do so that eventually I'll have the skills to paint good watercolors. I'm hoping at some point to get good enough to paint something that I still like by the time that I'm finished with it.


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## pencils (Feb 10, 2012)

painting...and drawing...is a never ending learning process, or should be, personally, I like trying new things to see where they lead me. I don`t do the cabins in the woods or mountain views anymore...did em a long time, moved on...I need to keep myself satisfied, don`t worry at all about what other people may or may not think of what I do. They like it thats fine, they don`t thats fine.


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