I've pulled out my very dusty watercolor supplies, and have been rekindling my painting skills.
It has been a calm winter so far. It is just a few days until Christmas, and the temperatures are due to be in the 50's, which is unheard of for Milwaukee. So far, we have had only one instance of snowfall, which has been a pleasant surprise. I used to absolutely dread the snow, but now it is just a part of winter life here. I only worry if it is going to be more than say 4 inches, and if I have to drive to work. Otherwise, I actually enjoy it when it snows. It has been an interesting change after living in Phoenix Arizona for 20 years.
My renewed interest in painting has been the result of finding many new watercolor artists on YouTube. I enjoy the ones that paint from nature, and I've gotten interesting ideas to try in my own paintings. The idea I'm working on lately is to start every painting with a good drawing (which forces me to consider shapes and volumes, making important decisions before I start painting). My usual process is to just start painting, but I'd end up not finishing when I realize I don't have enough space, or that I didn't plan enough and try to include too much information.
Another concept I'm trying to use more is to leave more white space, or lighter values, in my paintings. I generally get carried away with the Paints, and end up going too dark. These two changes have definitely improved the outcome.
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