Commission step 7

I have completed the girl to about the same level as the boy (except the eyes need a bit more work). I will now work on the baby and get that to the same level as the others and then make decisions about final skin tones and the background.

Commission step 6

I have finished the boy as far as I am going to take him before the other figures are completed to the same level. I will then have to decide if I am going to make adjustments to all the skin tones together at that point.

I have to work nightshift tonight so it will be a couple of days before I start on the girl again.

Commission step 5

I worked today so I didn't get a chance to take a photo of yesterday's work by daylight. So, the photo isn't the best. I started working again all over the painting skipping from one face to another. I finally decided I wouldn't get anywhere unless I concentrate on one at a time. I started working mostly on the boy's face at that point. Still a long way to go on it but you can see the difference it makes focusing on one part at a time.

comission step 4

I finally had a chance to get back to this commission. I softened the harsh edges from previous washes of skin tones, corrected shapes, and then added a wash all over the faces to bring it closer to what the finished tones will be. Still many more layers of colour to go but I have to let this layer completely dry before lifting high lights. This is not a very good photo as it was taken by light from the lamp (it is a very grey, dark day outside today).

Waterlily Finished

I finally got this finished and framed this morning. I worked some more on the center of the stamens, softened some hard edges, and corrected all the water droplets. Now I can get back to the commission I'm working on.

Waterlily step 14

I finally had some time to paint so I continued to darken values all around the lily. The way to paint in bright light is to have dark shadows. I wish I could get a whiter watercolour paper but I'm using extra white as it is. It just doesn't give the dazzling whites found in nature. I also darkened a lot of the center of the stamens to make the few in bright light stand out. I am coming to the end of this one soon so I'll have to get a good photo rather than one taken by flash as these have been.

Waterlily step 13

Just a little time for painting today as I am nightshift all this weekend. I don't know if I'll get much done the next couple of days.

I've continued to work on the shadowed petals and started delineating the center stamens some more. I still have to go much darker overall to get the dramatic lighting I'm trying for.

Waterlily step 12

These steps don't show much difference between them but I am gradually adjusting the values of the petals in shadow. I'm going to have to each one separately to completion now instead of jumping around the painting. The shadows are still much darker on the reference photo so I have to decide if I want to go that dark or stay a few shades lighter.