Barn owl watercolor

I’ve been working on painting a barn owl and have a few photos to show how it all came together.

Happy Sunday, friends! 😊

I started off with a simple sketch. It is important that the big shapes are positioned correctly and that your proportions look good.  No detail is needed at this point, just light lines to serve as a guide.

Next I added a few small ink details with a Micron pen. The eyes are very dark so I like to use a pen to outline them to get the shape set before putting down any paint.

 

I used Daniel Smith watercolors for my owl. I started out by wetting the paper in sections and dropping in color allowing it to mix and mingle on right on the paper.

 

The first wash of quinacridone gold, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna. It doesn’t look good at this point but it gets better with each wash.

 

The second wash with more definition. Things are now starting to take shape. I’m not sure why this photo has a rosy glow but hopefully that’s not a distraction.

 

Barn owl – 9 x 12 inch Stillman & Birn beta sketchbook

The final wash added even more detail and deeper color. I love watching the transformation with this type of post. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

For me this post reinforces the importance of three washes and that getting the eyes dark enough makes a big difference.

I hope you are inspired to create art and do what you love. Art is for everyone, keep painting, creating, and having fun!

Until next time, share a smile and have a great week!

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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Patty Anne Art

Quiet Thursday – Falling Leaves

I’ve been inspired by the beautiful leaves changing and falling from the trees. I love Autumn! ❤️

Happy Thursday, friends! 😊

Falling Leaves  – 9 x 12 inch bee watercolor paper

I hope you are inspired to create art and do what you love.

Until next time, share a smile and spread kindness all around.

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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Patty Anne Art

Painting the garden

A little painting inspiration from last summer.

Happy Thursday, friends! 🌼 😊

Black-eyed Susans – July 2018

It’s always good to practice and play. Learning what works and what doesn’t with watercolor takes time and a lot of practice. Allow time to experiment and observe, no need to fuss, just play.

A few notes on my little flower practice below:

I used a round #12 brush (and a #6 for some of the smaller petals).

1 – add a round puddle of color for the flower center

2 – add simple petals around the damp center

3 – add a drop of water in the center of the damp flower and allow it to bleed out into the petals

4 – add a little water to the edge of a few petals and allow the damp color to soften and bleed out

 

Center: Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Burnt Sienna
Petals: Cadmium Yellow, Hansa Yellow Dark

Below I tried a darker center with lighter petals.

There are so many options…just have fun!

Center: Sepia, Burnt Sienna
Petals: Hansa Yellow light, Yellow ochre

My watercolor painting of Black-eyed Susans reminds me of summer. 🌞

Summer Flowers – 9 x 12 inch Bee watercolor paper

I hope you are inspired to create and have fun. If you would like to receive notifications of new posts, simply click the follow button. I would love to have you join me on this creative journey.

Until next time, share a smile and have a great week.

Happy Painting! 💛

Patty Anne

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Patty Anne Art

Favorite Feather Doodle

A fun feather doodle and a big smile to share with you today!

Happy Thursday! 🙂

9 x 12 inch Favorite Feather Doodle

I sketched the outline of a feather and divided off sections for doodling. I’ve been trying some new patterns and having a lot of fun. I worked on this feather a few evenings while relaxing and watching television. This doodle makes me happy, I think I will frame this one. ❤

I hope you are inspired to create art and do what you love. If you would like to receive notifications of new posts, simply click the follow button. I would love to have you join me on this creative journey.

Until next time, share a smile and have a great week.

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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PattyAnneArt

 

Christmas branch

Another watercolor painting for Christmas.

Happy Sunday friends! 🙂

9 x 12 inch Christmas branch on bee watercolor paper

Leaves are one of my favorite things to paint and sketch. I decided it would be fun to paint a cheerful branch. I now have my second Christmas card for this year. Yay! 🙂

I started with layers of light green leaves using a round #12 brush. I allowed each layer to dry and worked up to darker leaves in different shades of green.  For the last layer of pine needles, I switched to a flat angle brush which helped me get some nice variation and added texture. As a last step I used a white gel pen for a hint of snow and a few highlights.

I hope you are inspired to create art and do what you love. Thank you for stopping by and following along. Until next time, share a smile and have a great week.

Happy Painting! ❤

Patty Anne

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PattyAnneArt

 

 

 

 

Soft pink roses

A quiet post with soft pink roses today.

🌸 Happy Thursday! 🌸

Soft pink roses  –  9 x 12 inch Bee watercolor paper

 

watercolor inspiration photo – March 2018

Until next time, share a smile and sprinkle kindness all around.

Happy Painting! 😊

Patty Anne

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PattyAnneArt

Painting bees

I’ve been practicing painting bees and flowers. In Jean Haines’ book, Atmospheric Flowers in Watercolour, she noted that adding little bees to your flower paintings will give them more energy and interest.

The cute little bees in Jean’s book looked like a fun exercise so I jumped in.

How to paint a little bee, simple and loose: 

Use a small brush,  I used a Liner #2

1. With dark gray/black, paint a round head and with the tip of your brush pull out a few antenna.
   Paint a couple dark curved stripes below the head.
2. In between the stripes add yellow paint and allow it to touch and blend with the other areas.
3. Pull out the wings from the wet paint on each side of the bee. Add a little more gray color at the top of the wing. Use a damp brush to blend out the wings to keep them soft and delicate.
4. Bump up the color by adding more yellow and gray/black where needed.

 

You can also switch things up and paint a few bees with different shades of yellow and gold, or try using a different gray mix. There are so many possibilities. 🙂

My little bee and flower study was a great way to have fun and try new things. I was able to experiment with how much water to use, when to blend colors, and try different  shapes and color combinations.

I love the freedom to just play and experiment without worry. It is a great way to build skills and enjoy the painting process. I highly recommend taking some time to play.

Flowers and Bees  – 6 x 9 inch

I hope you are inspired to create art and do what you love. Thank you for stopping by and following along. Until next time share a smile and spread kindness all around.

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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PattyAnneArt