Kingfisher with Plastic Wrap Background
Loose Fun Background Plus Realistic Subject
Realism With Fun Background Technique for Beginners
Plastic wrap, pressed into a wet watercolor wash, makes interesting and fun textures, great to showcase a realistic subject. This works especially well if your limit your color choice to three to five colors and have a subject with a bright, well saturated hue.
In kingfisher, you can trace the outline page onto your watercolor paper and work step by step with the written instructions and video demonstration, so even beginners can produce a great painting and learn or practice some basic watercolor techniques. Guided practice is excellent practice.
Whether you want to practice loose washes of background color or just have fun painting, this lesson takes most students 1 to 2 hours (the plastic wrap wash takes a while to dry), and requires no special materials (besides the plastic wrap from your kitchen).
Realism looks every better with an abstract background, and can be used with many subjects. This technique is easy and results in a unique painting every time.
Your Instructor
I'm a self taught artist and I love teaching!
My story is simple.
I showed a lot of interest and talent as a child, but my parents discouraged art as a waste of time. I spent my adult life as a nurse and raised a family - pretty busy. While I was home with the birth of my daughter, I bought a cheap set of watercolors and fell in love with the bloom of color. I told my husband, 'I'm going to keep painting with these until I get really good.'
Back then, not many painted realistic watercolors, so I practiced and tried things until I worked out my own style. It took a lot of trial and error,
. When I entered my first art show, I won two awards and was told I'd have to enter the professional category and not beginner. That frightened me soo much, I didn't enter again for years.
When my work began selling, I entered more shows with more great success. I worked very hard and became a full time professional artist and teacher.
Although my work has been recognized and featured in major exhibitions, books and magazines, I'm very down to earth, and just love painting.
No one has 'all the time in the world'. Paint now. You're never too old, it's never too late. Any bit of time you can practice will improve your skills.
And yes, this cowboy is a watercolor painting. (Reference photo used with permission by Diana Robinson)
Have fun and learn from a master - sign up today!