compositon as springboard

You can use a strong composition you recognize in other artwork as a springboard for developing your own original ideas and imagery. Just substitute different objects or creatures with similar forms as the master work, and your picture may surprise you with a story. Try to use the geometry of the abstract layout for tension to reinforce your narrative . (credit: illustration copyright 1907 Mary Hamilton Frye: "He grabbed the boy..." used for educational purposes only)

ice cream and apples wc composition

Here's a new watercolor of apples and ice cream, showing the steps from pencil sketching to ink lines, then masking followed by watercolor wash background; after that the masking is removed and the figures are painted in before a final reinforcing of lines with a fountain pen. I started with the simple idea of circle, triangle and rectangle and went from there incorporating a revision of a poem I wrote in the 70s.

Asters in fireplace

Here's a sketch I made of what looks like golden Asters pushing up through the leaves in our old fireplace. I'm not sure if these are the endangered species, but I admired their resilience.

pigeon watercolor lesson 2

Here's the second installment of the pigeon picture showing:

removing rubber cement mask, sketching in lines with ink, washing in feathers with ink and watercolor, plus layering watercolor wash in the birds and background. Try to keep working the background as you do the birds, altho the figure will determine the values of the ground in this case.