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I'm wishing to loosen up a bit in my approach to Water Colors or mixed media. 

 I did a class with Joy Ting. Seems she runs a freebie class every month or so. I was interested in the floral prompt photo, not able to share which was just a huge smattering of flowers, layers and layers of fresh flowers. So many, you couldn't possibly paint them all on a small 11 x 14.  I used a heavy multi-media paper, because I knew we were going to be doing a lot of different things.

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Stage 1

I should have taken photos as we went along, but working live so fast it is impossible...basically I got the floral shapes done in class and no background or leaves. 

The flower shapes were very loose with sloppy wet water colors. Then we scribbled/marked up the flower shapes (I used some water-based Gelato sticks in bright colors.) You can see the blotchy colors on the rough texture of the paper. 

It was so loose, it literally looked like blotches. 

After class I added watercolor greens in the background. I personally am not fond of white paper, unless the subject matter (snow, clouds, houses, flowers, etc.) are white. This was the first day.

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Stage 2

Okay, I wasn't happy with the definition of Day 1. So I dragged out my colored pencils, alcohol markers and went to work. 

First thing I did was take the Gelato marks with water, and then alcohol to marry the markers and the Gelato marks. I tried to blend them into their surroundings, and then I began darkening the background and shadows with markers and ordinary colored pencils.

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Stage 2

I just didn't want blotch flowers, but blotches then began to be Marigolds, Zinnia Stock, Canterbury Bells, leaves of Coleus, Bachelor buttons, Morning Glories, and a few I'm not sure what they are. 

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Stage 3

Slowly the jumble of shapes began to blossom and the background retreated back. I softened lots of edges with alcohol on a brush, but still leaving some grainy bits of the Gelato sticks (the flowers on the bottom) for texture.

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Stage 3

I chose to not have access to the prompt photo after class, so I let the shapes take me to flowers I knew. 

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Stage 3

Even a stem of Lupine grew from some blue blotches.  The pink/blue flower to the right was layered with mauve marker over the scattering of blue water color and Turquoise Gelato stick-nummy subdued lavenders.

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Stage 3

Morning Glories are beautiful and easy to spot, but the gold cluster on the left which was in the photo, I can't seem to identify the flower (with tube bells with speckles.)  

Backgrounds: I didn't use any black, it just seems so. Layers of green water colors with added dark browns and dark green markers deepened the background.

Light and dark shadings on flowers/foliage were usually done with colored pencils or thin marker tips. 

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I'm not totally pleased with the result, but I learned so much from this process.

Conclusion: Try as I might, I'm not a super free painter...I like some reality added to blotches. I will try to  continue and loosen up. I'm also thinking I'm trending toward multi-media. And, really liking the alcohol markers for their control and intensity. I really enjoy the transparent layering of the markers over the water colors or other media...intensifying here and there, subduing and defining elsewhere.

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PS my Faber Castell Water-based Gelatos sticks  also break down with alcohol on a brush, making them very versatile. I had picked up this set on deep discount. And I'm considering watching for a deal on another set. I had considered oil pastels, but now I think the water/alcohol dissolvable will be better for me.

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Sandi 

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