Finally some of the madness has gone out of the week and I’ve spent a pleasant hour or two this afternoon painting this handsome watercolour squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. (photo courtesy of Paul Sherman, Paintmyphoto). I did start this one with a light sketch as I’m still not confident getting eyes and such in the right place without one! And even so his nose is still a bit too pointy….
With regards brush strokes he’s a bit tight and fiddly – I was trying to be loose and hoping to get a softer look for all the fluffy fur on his arms but the edges kept drying – I enjoyed painting him though, which was mostly the point of the exercise. I had fun dropping colours and then salt in for the rock underneath him too 🙂 .
It occurs to me that my objectives have changed a little bit over the past few weeks, and today is a good example. I still have an ideal in my mind, a dream of the style I’d like to achieve, but I’m less worried whether I get there or not… I’m enjoying letting the painting take over a bit, waiting to see what appears rather than trying to force it.
Perhaps it’s because I’m not getting as much practise as usual and I’m unconsciously being a bit kinder to myself 😛 It will be interesting to see what transpires as a result!