Here is one of my recent favorites. We have an old Apricot tree right outside the window of our old farm house. This spring it bloomed and held on to those blooms for days. I took a few photos of it and did a few sketches before they all blew away.
This painting started out wet and my colors began to bloom as well. At one point I thought it was over but after letting the first layer dry I realized that all was not lost. I added a few more layers to strengthen it and voila "Apricot Blossoms in Spring".
I created this painting in about 2 hours from start to finish. Not including the previous sketching and photography though. I used an 11x14 Arches Watercolor Block at 140lb Cold Press and Winsor and Newton Artist Watercolors.
A little about how I produced the painting... First I sketched it out from several value sketches I had already thought out. Unfortunately I can't find those right now or I would have included them. Next I soaked the paper and let it absorb the water until the shine was gone. Then I began to add my greens and reds and let them spread their color. I kept an eye on the painting at this stage to keep water from pooling in any one spot. I hurried the final minutes of drying with a handy hair dryer to cheat a little. I then added some browns and greens to the limb and deepened some of the pink colors. It had to dry again. I added the shadows in a purple hue and tightened up some of the details. That's it in a nutshell.
If you would like to see more of my work, please check out www.mikeprout.com
If you have any questions, contact me or better yet put them in the comments below and I will try to answer them for everyone's benefit. Enjoy!
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