The Experimental Butterfly

The Experimental Butterfly

After a long morning of heaving top soil and chip shreddies around the yard in 80 degree temperatures , then a nice lunch ,I decided I'd had enough of gardening and I would have another go at painting the butterfly picture for the challenge on the blog Paint and Draw Together. You might have seen my early attempt on my blog The Dusty Butterfly.

Let me start by telling you I have never really been taught how to use water color paints but I do have a set of them that someone bought me . I am also very impressed at some of the lovely effective paintings that I have seen from people using water color.

I found in my cupboard of art junk some water paint pencils I had never used. Some water paint paper and a set of water paint paints and brushes so I was all set to go.

The water paint paper is pretty thick stuff and I remember that usually you wet the paper before you start. I didn't do that as I took one of the pencils and sketched out the main parts of the butterfly and flower. I did know with these pencils you are then supposed to paint on water on top of the penciled marks. Well I did than and it was fun. The colors appeared and the more you worked at it the less the marks of the pencils could be seen, I liked the effect it made for the background but found the white butterfly and the shading on the flower difficult to get right.

I solved the problem with adding some water color paint with the brush and also adding the butterfly wing pattern ( very difficult to do) as well with black paint afterwards.

Can't say I was really satisfied with the result but I might try another painting this time doing the background again in water color and adding the actual flower with acrylic paint and see how that works.

Might be alright, might not. I can only try. Stay tuned.