My Self-Invented Method
THE 80 EGGS PROJECT
My first efforts in learning how the pigments reacted with water on the watercolor paper.
Here I'm starting to achieve some smoothness in the gradients.
Ahhh, the smooth gradients are beautiful, aren't they?
Early on, I set out to invent my personal style of "wet-in-wet" painting with watercolors, also referred to as "glazing".
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In order to perfect my unique technique, I endeavored to learn how to paint smooth-as-silk gradients, from highlights to shadows, and on the rounded surfaces of fruit.​​
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​I assigned myself a study where I painted egg-like shapes to learn how to achieve smooth transitions on curved surfaces and shadows.​​
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In the above paintings of egg shapes, the names of pigments (tubes of watercolor paint) that I used are penciled in for reference.
There are several families of watercolors, such as cadmiums, cobalts and thalos. Each family has unique properties, some more grainy or more transparent than others.
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When I used too much pigment with water, the result was blotchy. Using a tiny amount of pigment and water and allowing each layer to dry before adding the next, the color built up slowly.
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As I experimented, I eventually found the correct ratio of pigment to water, gaining control over the medium to achieve a smooth gradient.
By the end of the study, I had painted 80-ish eggs! My efforts proved to be fruitful!!
