Sun Splatters, 5 x 5 watercolor and pen. © 2016 Sheila Delgado
I started this piece months ago. When I started to add pen to shape the petals, I totally goofed. I did not start with a sketch, I just splattered paint, and then added the pen to highlight some of the shapes the paint developed.
When I came back to the piece recently, I was so attracted to the colors, I felt I had to try to save it. I continued to add petal shapes. Next I added more of the rust tones to the background. That looked terrific in person, but not in the scan. So I went back in with some deep sap green.
I thought it was too dark, so I washed some of that back out. Looking at the petals, I thought it might be a good idea to add some shadows. I didn’t want to ruin what I had, so I added shadows digitally, in Photoshop. The shadows here are not deep enough, and maybe they are not correctly placed. This is still a work in progress for now. Below is the original.
Sun Splatters, 5 x 5 watercolor and pen. © 2016 Sheila Delgado
Slide 1: left for dead
Slide 2: attempt resuscitation
Slide 3: add contrast, sap green
Slide 4: lighten the contrast
Slide 5: digital shadows
Sun Splatters, Left for Dead. Original. 2016 Sheila Delgado
Tomorrow is the Liberate Your Art Blog Hop. I hope you will join me, and visit some of the other artists as well. Kat will unveil her video – Sure to be fun!
I love the final painting. It’s nice to see all the stages of the painting.
Thank you Libby 🙂 Still no sign of your card huh? If you do not receive my postcard, let me know and I will send another!
Hi Sheila
I love this new direction. I think it’s fabulous!!! Great colors and design. More please ?
Thank you Connie! I would love to do more 🙂 I will keep trying 🙂
I like all of them, they are all interesting and pretty, I can’t have a favorite!
Thank you Lana 🙂
Hi Sheila. I really liked the first in the slide show, then left for dead piece with just a few pen lines. It left things to the imagination but the changes work too. Have a great weekend.
I added it to the post Val, should have in the first place 🙂 You enjoy your weekend as well, and hopefully you will have some time to create!
Love the gif! Fun to see the process. I like being able to see the various steps. Final image at top is beautiful. Exploding color, very vibrant!
Thanks Coinna! I do love the colors 🙂 Love your description 🙂
Sheila, I’m in the middle of left-for-dead in my own studio, so this was a welcome and timely post. I have to say, I actually like the left-for-dead version. I even snapped a screen shot of it so I can look at it without its shifting to the follow-up image! Thank you for the gifts of your painting and your blog and your befriendliness!
Dotty I added the original image to the post. Maybe it would have been fine if I had just drawn the lines all the way out to the edge.:)
I love it just as is. There’s something very compelling about it, and the one “unfinished petal” adds to the visual interest, sparking curiosity and imagination. The painting conveys the energy and mystery of a sun spot or solar flare (not sure of my science here!) and speaks to me of the wonder of the sun’s energy as translated into a sunflower. Very powerful.
Thank you Dotty for your observations. I have a hard time getting past the “I goofed and it’s unfinished” reality. But at the same time, I do like how the colors are more visible, and fade at the outer edges. When I went back to it, I did add just a few bits of yellow and rust. That negated the fading. I am so pleased that you can see so much, were I first saw only failure.
One good reason to blog perhaps… to see your work through the eyes of others! Keep the observations coming Dotty, they are most appreciated 🙂
I love the one posted at the top. I’m not keen on the digital shadows. It’s great to see your progress shots. How do you do that?
I think I prefer to leave it as is Sea. Think you are right. It was just a thought.
I scan after each change. then it is a matter of editing the images, a few clicks. And using the animation feature in Photoshop. You decide how long you want each slide to show, and you can add cool transitions also, fading in or fading to black. If you have started working in Photoshop, I can send you tutorials. It really is easy, and fun 🙂
Thanks. I haven’t had time to study photoshop but I think there is also a way with iphoto. When I get time (ha ha) I’ll check both out. Thanks for the offer. I’ll let you know if I need help.
You’re welcome Sea… any time 🙂