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STILL L IFE AND N ATURE STUDIES 3 3
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VARIATION
For a little variety, do another still-life
painting of a plant with small or narrow
leaves. You can paint the individual leaves
with different colors that mix with green, as
you see in the lavender plant (above).
Lavender Plant, watercolor
Begonia in a Pot
“I decided to put my begonia plant into a decorative pot. And once I saw it in
the pot, I had to paint it! I loved the way the leaves and vines felt similar to
the scrollwork of the planter.” —Despina
EXERCISE 8
Choose a potted plant from your home that has big leaf shapes and
variations of color, like Despina’s begonia. If you look closely, you’ll
notice the many shades of color that exist within the green leaves besides
green. You may also find red tones, oranges, yellows, blues—it depends
on the plant and the light.
Paint some big green leaf shapes, and while they’re still wet, drip bits of
the other colors into those shapes. Allow the secondary color to spread, or
“bloom,” into the leaf. Then add another darker layer of the green as a shape
to create the veins in the leaves in the negative space. You may or may not
want an ornamental planter, but once your leaves are dry, you can add a
shape of color for the pot. Include some of the more subtle tones in your
leaves in the pot color to create a harmonious feeling.
If you’re not seeing other colors besides green while doing this, choose
some other color that works for you based on your taste. The more you
practice looking, the better your sense of color will become. If you have no
houseplants, visit a friend with a green thumb for this exercise.
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34 ONE WATERCO L O R A DAY
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DAY 9
Bird in Nature, watercolor
Bird in Nature
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STI LL LIFE AND N ATURE STUDIE S 3 5
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“We New Yorkers often think we’re so much
‘in control.’ Yet this week, Mother Nature
really let us know who’s in charge by
sending a tornado to the city! Still stunned
by how many trees we lost in our
neighborhood, I spent a few minutes in my
yard wondering how the birds reacted to
the loss. To my surprise, as I looked, there
were several out there that I had never
seen before. There was this gorgeous
Northern Cardinal sitting in the bushes,
and a pretty busy little hummingbird, too.
It’s probably safe to assume they’re
checking out the real estate for a new
place to call home.” —Michele
EXERCISE 9
Go into your yard or a local park, and spend some time just looking. Take
your time, walk around, be patient with yourself. Find one small thing that
impresses you with its beauty, intricacy, texture, and so forth, and make a
simple study painting of it. You might even do a few based on a single subject.
Sometimes even artists forget to stop and l-o-o-k. It’s the only way to see
the beauty in the world around us.
VARIATION
A fallen leaf can make a great subject to paint, as Despina realized when
making the lovely study above. Check out the little red worm!
Leaf, watercolor by Despina
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36 ONE WATERCO L O R A DAY
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EXERCISE 10
Sometimes the everyday things around us can make the most personal and
inspired still-life paintings. If you have children in your home, you might try
a still life by arranging some of their things in a spot that gets some natural
light, and make a painting. Pencil in a few shapes to start if going straight to
paint seems too difficult. Then, layer the colors in softly, lighter ones first,
adding darker tones gradually to build up a soft atmospheric feel. Allow the
paint to dry somewhat between layers. Once the main shapes are painted, use
a thin brush with some dry paint to add details, such as the stripes on the
teddy bear’s shirt or his black eyes. The painting will be a nice token of this
memory, long after the toys have fallen apart from too much kid love!
DAY 10
Toys, detail,
watercolor with pencil
Toys
“There’s something special about my
children’s toys. So sweet, just like the kids.
Thought it would be nice to make a
painting to remember this time in their
lives. And also of my wife and I.” —Eddie
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STI LL LIFE AND N ATURE STUDIE S 3 7
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VARIATION
If you don’t live in a house with children,
select a group of very domestic items, and
create a still life from that. The seemingly
mundane can often create beautiful art.
Toys, watercolor with pencil
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