I started today with a purple swoosh of paint. I pre-wet the paper, which gave me a less saturated color than I would have liked. As with yesterday’s study, I began with the paper in landscape format.

Abstract 112216
12″x16″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

While the paper was still wet, I ran a brush loaded with cadmium red deep parallel to the purple color. The interface between these two colors (now at the bottom of the paper) resolved to a muddy, tone but cleared to a more pure color.

After the first stage dried, I painted an arc of bismuth yellow, which I outlined with phthalo blue. The interface between the blue and yellow yielded a saturated green. I left most of the yellow untouched and migrated some to the cadmium red below. This glazing left an orange field in place of the red.

Finally, I added a red/purple pigment at the bottom (originally, the left side) of the composition.  The portrait orientation works much better for me than the landscape format. In the latter position, I can’t help thinking of a cartoon-line, smiley elephant.