Free Inquiry Reflection #5 – Sailing Through the Semester

What?

I wanted to switch my focus to potential card ideas I could make for loved ones in my life. This way I was able to take a time out from learning more skills and focus on perfecting the skills I have already learnt. This boat image was inspired from Pintrest. I thought it was super cute and I should give it a try. I am not going to lie, I had higher expectations for how this painting was going to turn out. I am pretty unhappy with the result but this is good because it means I have five more posts to perfect my work.

So What?

I Learnt:

• The Importance of outlining with darker colours to give dimension. When doing this is it important to paint the lighter colours first and follow with darker shade once the light once have dried.
• The value of knowing when to use thicker vs thinner brushes. For example for the background lines I used a thicker brush, whereas with the boat used my thinnest brush. This was super affective rather then simply using one brush for the whole painting.

My Struggles:

• I had a difficult time stying within the lines and this piece has very clear cut lines.
• I had a hard time covering up the pencil lines. Once again, I have to remind myself to sketch super light especially when working with lighter shades.

My Strengths:

• I did a good job of mixing up enough paint to supply my whole piece. By doing this the painting looks more cohesive as I did not have to recreate the exact shade I made prior.
• I am happy with my sketch of my painting. I feel like I did a good job of recreating the overall shape of the Pintrest image.

Now What?

Moving forward, I am going to continue along the journey of improving my painting skills. But most importantly, enjoy the process. Before my next project I am going to read this motivational article I found on the frustrations of water colour. Overall, lets keep things moving and see where we get. Most importantly, any effort is one step closer to perfection.