Water colors: fantasy pomegranates

So I started working on some cool toned watercolors. It was a rather abrupt shift from the fall colors. But once the cool weather set and the snow fell... well it was time to whip out the frosty blues and greens with a bit of purple. I wanted some really quick projects so that I could crank these things out and start working the cafepress angle. No, it won't be ready for this year. I'll  have to plan a year out I guess.

And I want to get better at using the liquid masking fluid. So here it the first few steps:

• the drawing
• lay down some liquid mask. I used Windsor & Newton
• while that is drying prepare you color palette. This one is Cobalt, Cerulean, Antwerp & Indanthrene blues, gamboge yellow, Permanent Violet, Dioxizine Purple, Phtalo violet an Purple Lake.
• Next lay down the colors.

The unfortunate thing about this photograph is that the lighting is so bad right now (it's 11:45pm) that it took a lot of editing to get it to look anything but yellow. But you get the idea.

This is the second interpretation. The first one I did I liked a lot. But it was more realistic than I wanted for something that is totally colored in an unrealistic palette. I did like the first one. And because the layout was exactly what I wanted, and I knew that I would want to do several variations, I made a carbon of it so that you could see them side beside when I am done. And here is a peak at the previous fantasy pomegranate portrait.

water color on Strathmore paper with Tim Holtz tissue tape, gold foil pen
 

I think you can see that they are the same composition. The colors are brighter below because I took those photos in the daylight. Natural light is wonderful! I have some Michelle Ward stuff coming soon. And I think that I want to use some of that in with this set up too. Also contemplating a totally overboard canvas with a transfer of this watercolor and an onslaught of scrapbooking/rubberstamp tricks that I love. And maybe something will finally go back to Somerset Studio.

I can't believe it's been 7 years since I last submitted work.