Ruined yet again

[tmwilliams]

Maybe this is too ambitious for me as this is number nine – only one made it to completion.

Once again I messed up his wing. It wasn’t bad until I tried a dry brush of van dyke brown. It didn’t go well, and I tried to dab it out.

Now it looks awful – and no matter what I do from here on in it’ll never have the light delicate look I nearly had.  Just mud.

I wouldn’t put it on my wall and that’s my measure of good/bad.

Six hour (this time) down the drain.  I’d say it’s an investment in learning except I don’t seem to be learning anything.

[kochersperger]

Actually, I don’t see that it is ruined.  It doesn’t look the least bit muddy. A light wash of Van Dyke brown would fit nicely there with not hard edges.

Bonnie Lou Williams

[tmwilliams]

Thank you, Bonnie Lou.

I did finish it – I used more of a reddish mixed burnt sienna instead of the van dyke.

Here’s what I recently posted in the “studio”:

This one nearly ended in the stack of seven other unfinished owls.  This morning I found the courage and patience to work around my mistakes (to me they were/are glaring).  The encouraging comments in “the studio” are always helpful… I get discouraged too easily sitting here by myself.

The end result is acceptable enough to share. As with all my birds, I wanted soft colors and a loose feel.  I find that’s hard to do with so many browns…

I mixed some of my own, and used a few from the tube. They are unforgiving and can be stunningly ugly in a heartbeat.

I used the color to a) mask a few errors, b) give it, well, color and interest, and c) by adding a touch of similar colors inside, I tie it all together.

Arches 140 lb paper cut to 8×10. DS and WN tubes.

C&C always appreciated.

Thomas

 

[Mullanphy]

It’s been said that, all too often we are our own worst critic.  To be honest, I saw nothing wrong with the first image; not even any errors.  Unfinished isn’t wrong or bad.

One of the things I love about watercolors is that if a section doesn’t meet expectations or just doesn’t feel right, the pigments can be re-wet and lifted off the paper for a fresh go at it.

 

Save lives, mask up. ?

[tmwilliams]

Thank you for the kind words.

I often let perfect become the enemy of good.

Thomas

[RFRafferty]

Doesn’t look ruined to me.  Looks wonderful!

http://rrafferty.faso.com/
NBAL, CLAG, WAS-H, PSST, Plein Air Austin

“Every artist was first an amateur.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

[jonc50]

Looks that there is nothing wrong with the work, and the painting fits in well.

[BeLing]

Wow, you have high standards!

That said, I have to say I prefer the version without the background colors. It’s ethereal, thoughtful, beautiful. . . I like the light pencil marks, the open-endedness.

Next one, I hope you consider not “finishing” it.

[Author]

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