In Honor of Veterans Day

For Veterans Day

I hope we stop and remember those who have served our country for whatever reason. War or Peace, and think of those who have given the ultimate...their life. There are many men and women who are away from home for months, years at a time. Thanks to them! Thanks to my family members who served. Ken was in the Navy for 4  years.....Thanks for our  friends who served. 

So I am posting this little flag in their honor! along with the steps I took to paint it.

I did this painting a while back, took photos of the steps,and thought I would show how I work with watercolor.

  STEP #1

I do a drawing the size that I want with pencil, then I go over it with a sharpie or black pen, and use my light box to transfer onto 140 lb arches cold press or WN rough watercolor paper. Keeping your pencil lines light,  using a vinyl eraser if you have to correct.

STEP #2

 I use Manganese blue mixed with Permanent Rose,a little ultramarine blue, and sometimes some turquoise to paint in the shadows, and I use this technique all the time. Sometimes I add a tiny bit of orange.

When you paint over it, it shows through as a shadow, and You can always add local color to it as you go. I try to paint the shadow about 40% if possible.

STEP#3

For some reason, this photo is much lighter, but you can see where I stared in adding the flag color.

I love to use a lot of reds.  I use Alizarin Crimson for my darkest red, and I LOVE Bright Red for the sunlit areas of the flag. I use dark blues along with ultramarine blue for the blue leaving the stars white. I normally dont mask them.If I need more shadow on the flag I use ultramarine blue. It will really pop a shadow when you use it last.

STEP #4

I just continue on adding the leaves, stems, and flowers. Using the dark and light red where it is in sun or in shadow. I love thalo yellow green, and I put that with yellow down first on the leaves, along with some burnt orange, and some reds that are in the flowers. I used Burnt orange and oranges for the clay pot, using some kosher salt for texture.

STEP #5

  This is the finished piece. I painted the background with some blues,leaving some white showing through,

and finished the big metal pot it was sitting in.