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And watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Koe2OSwB18k
Last week we started the paint process. Since then I have done and handful of illustrations. Here are my thoughts.
I heard that its good to have a hook at the beginning of a blog. Therefore, I have looked up the world’s best knock knock joke.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?
Read to the end for the punchline.
I have been jumping around between different water color paper and mix media paper.
One of the first paintings I did was the dark interior shot below. This was on mixed media paper. I was very impressed with how it came out. I have not painted like this in a while (or maybe ever with water color) and I was very pleased to see I had this in me. XD There were no problem with it and perhaps the whole book could be done in this manner.
This second painting was done on the same paper. It came out fine, all good. But this third painting was done on Stonehenge watercolor paper. And the colors do seem a touch more bold.



Above from Left to Right: QOR watercolor paint on strathmore mixed media paper, QOR watercolor paint on strathmore mixed media paper, QOR watercolor paint on Stonehenge watercolor paper.
I was not sure so I went back and forth between mix media and water color paper. I was using the mixed media paper for the sake of the pencil, but watercolor paper takes the watercolor better, as you may expect. The colors are also a little stronger and the darks seem to get a little darker and it handles the moisture better. Who knew?
The three images below were painted at the same time but on different paper.
Stonehenge watercolor, Blick watercolor, and Strathmore watercolor paper. They all came out well enough, but my gut says I like Strathmore more. Because of the texture on the paper, the pencil lines come out a little gritty, but maybe I like that texture right now. In the previous video I expressed a concern that the texture on the Strathmore paper was pushing the pencil around too much. But it seems I can still get the lines I want and the colors of the paint and the pencil come out well.



Above: Stonehenge watercolor, Blick watercolor and Strathmore watercolor paper



Above: Pencil lines shown on Stonehenge watercolor, Blick watercolor and Strathmore watercolor paper
My favorite pages so far are these done on Strathmore watercolor paper.
To get the desired darks gouache is being used. I can’t seem to get too dark with just water color. Which is fair enough. Watercolor is more translucent and gouache is known for being opaque.
For this big face I did a base of water color, then for the shadow and darks I uses gouache.

One last note: I paint and paint and paint. And it never feels right. Until I put the pencil over it, then it all comes together. My thought is that I wonder if I’m over-doing the coloring. It could be that the color can be quite simple and the pencil is what brings everything to life. So I may try less paint on the next pages.
Sometimes it feels like I’m wasting my time. Like, after one test, should I not know what I like and don’t like? But as I was painting the other day I was thinking about how this is all good experience. And trying the same technique multiple times and still not knowing how I feel about it is fine. Because hopefully each time I paint I’m learning a little more about the material. Then after gathering many hours of trial I can make a more specific judgment of the material and what I should change next. I need to understand, too, if I am the problem or is the material the problem lol.



Above: Other samples of the painting done so far
Keeping all that in mind I have a new plan for the next set of a paintings.
I am going to switch primarily to gouache instead of watercolor. The hope is I can get to my desired colors more quickly and it might be I don’t need as much painting as I thought I needed.
I’ll add the pencil lines sooner in the process to see how that goes.
The next paintings will be done on watercolor paper because this seems better for the pop of color and they handle the wet better.
Unfortunate news: The pencil that was being used for these illustrations is quickly becoming smaller and smaller. We hope that it will last this project but if not there may be a search for a stand in.
These findings are probably not surprising. Watercolor paper works better for watercolor. Wow.
But I had to learn it for myself. And you never know until you know. The mixed media paper could have been better, I could not say until I tried it. A reminder, these logs are not tutorials, they are following along the journey. So if I ever am making obvious mistakes, those are just part of the journey XD
Next time we will see how the gouache works out.
Oh yes the knock knock joke…
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?
I didn’t know you could Yodel!
I am sorry to report there is no world’s best knock knock joke because they are all bad. This was the most tolerable.
Okay, see you next time; where the next hook will be yo mama jokes.