Those days when you can't paint...

...or it suddenly feels like it.

"aka the redeeming power of bold shadows and darks 😆"

Sometimes a painting just looks like it's not going to work at all. Your lines are wobbly, proportions are out, and the waste paper bin beckons from the first ten minutes. You know you've missed the mark this time and your inner 5 year old seems to have been doing the painting. But there's always hope -and at the very least, 'experience' to be had. Watercolour is a relatively high risk medium as far as results go, and failures come along regularly if you are painting boldly and directly, or even just 'often'. 😄

Here's a recent one... a view of the High Street in Old Aberdeen on Winsor Newton 140lb CP 20x16". I didn't intend to build this painting in layers- it was meant to be "right first time" but my lines were wobbly and my wash strengths all wrong (it happens some days).

Off to a good start... or NOT!

So plan B: Keep going - for the exercise, and try out different ideas. Be bold! Think maybe strong light and dark shadows -it can feel quite adventurous taking a big brush to your painting, but what have you got to lose?

Adding shadows helps a bit

The darks helped here, but the tones are  still a bit timid looking, so even more shadow wash (as long as it's a transparent wash, like french ultramarine and a little burnt sienna say, or maybe a dioxazine violet it shouldn't turn to mud on you). Lifting some paint off or a few dabs of white gouache for highlights helps.

Really pushing the darks now and building contrasts

So in the end the wobbly look has all but gone, but there's a bit of atmosphere now and while not the painting I had in mind to start with, the end can be better than expected. Some of my favourite paintings have been failures right up to the 90% mark, so never say die-or at least be prepared to "go down painting!" 😄

Happy painting!