Waste Not, Want Not

I don’t like to waste things, especially in the art studio. But, since I’m not always a very neat or careful artist, bad things sometimes happen. Like getting splotches of watercolor or gansai on unused sheets of watercolor paper. Oh, it’s the cheap kind, so even if I were to throw it away, I wouldn’t be out much.

Still, it’s more fun to see if I can find a way to use those splotches of color. Waste not, want not, and it’s a great way to play and practice.

This sheet of Bee Watercolor Paper had lots of pink splotches. You can see one most noticeably in the upper right corner. I just painted right over it, then added a bit more pink to the color scheme to make it all “fit” together — at least, that was the idea.

Pink and black and blue aren’t typically used together much in landscape painting, but I think they worked together fairly well in this scene.

For me, the best part of this painting is what I learned from it. After painting the line of distant trees — created by letting the paint “bloom” into the sky — I allowed it to dry completely. I then went back with a bit of black to add tree details and other marks. I’m beginning to understand how completing a watercolor in different stages gives me the means to create a lot of different effects.

This was definitely a good learning experience for me. And I have many more “ruined” sheets of paper in the pad, so I’ll be able to play a lot more — and learn a lot more in the process.