100 Watercolors #15 - Silence

For this theme, I figured the only thing quieter than space, is a MIME in space!  I had a good time layering a bunch of colors to get a nice rich space backdrop.  I used a dark green, then a dark blue and then a layer of black over the top.  I also used some masking fluid to make sure the star areas stayed white while I was putting in all those dark colors.  Then I hit them with a little blue to push them back, so the pure white on the characters would pop a little more.  This one was fun!

Next week's theme: Questioning

100 Watercolors #14: Smile

This week's theme is Smile.  As I was sketching out various ideas, I remembered one of the most touching smiles I have ever seen.  I went to Oberlin College and during my first year there I had a few classes with this one girl who always seemed very bummed out.  She always looked like she was on the verge of tears.    Over the next four years I would see her occasionally in classes or around campus, and it was always the same; she seemed so sad and downcast.  Then, magically a few weeks before the end of my senior year, I saw her walking across Tappan Square holding a bunch of red roses and smiling quietly to herself.  It was the last time I ever saw her, and it was so wonderful to see her finally smile.

Above is my clumsy attempt to illustrate that moment!  I'm pretty happy with how the grass and trees turned out in this one.  I feel like I'm getting better with layering different hues, and not overworking stuff!

Next week's theme: Silence!

100 Watercolors #13: Misfortune

Dropping your ice cream cone as a kid was the most misfortunate thing I could think of for this theme.  I tried to have some fun with the composition with this one, so that the ice cream on the pavement is the last thing you see.  Of course, only after I finished it could I see that there are WAY too many yellow dashes in the middle of the road.  I might as well have made it a solid yellow line!  Oh well, I guess my hopes of a perfect painting were dashed in the street...  (Pun intended!)

Next week's theme: Smile!

100 Watercolors #12: Insanity

I'm not sure this one 100% makes sense, but when I was brainstorming ideas for this theme, sitting in an office 40 hours a week felt like one of the craziest things to me.  But society views a steady office job as probably THE most sane thing, so I thought I would jumble them together.  I kind of like the idea of this guy punching in every morning right at 9am and sitting there all day.

Next week's theme: Misfortune!