Hello everyone! Has it already been more than a year when lockdown has started across the globe? Anyway,allow me to spread positivity as we continue to move forward. My laptop is still broken but I will just continue writing using my phone. It takes a little more effort but it is worth it I guess.
I was scrolling through my Instagram when I came across Paulo's post of sunflowers. By the way, he is our 17 year old friend who is also a kpop fan like my brother and I. I instanly fell in love with the photo just as how I instantly fall in love with green and yellow fields of sunflowers. It has also been a year since I last saw a sunflower field.
I told myself I would love to paint it and then asked permission to paint it. He gleefully said yes.
I started by sketching the image from the photo using a watercolor paper. I used a 6x3in watercolor paper and a mechanical pencil. As you also observed on my previous artworks using gouache, I used a washi tape so that I would not overlap from the border.
I decided to use my Himi Gouache set for this one. I have also thought of giving the gouache set to my cousin Athena because I have a spare set.
I wanted to paint the background first because I realized that it would be easier. Aside from that, I had been mixing colors throughout the entire process so that the colors would not look so generic from the people who use the same set. I tried avoiding the colors with titanium and pearl white though because those whites cancel out the vibrancy of the rest of the palette.
I also did the same thing for the green area. I find it hard to paint the minute details then paint the background so I decided to use the same technique. Gouache, as I have mentioned a couple of times, is opaque so putting another layer of paint would not be a problem though it might take some time.
I also tried mixing different yellows with red oranges and those with the hues from the same spectrum.
The petals do not look perfect but I am trusting myself and the process.
Then I added chocolate brown at the center. It is mixed with a different hue of brown, it was more like red-brown and dark brown. I forgot the names but I guess you get what I mean.
And since I could not perfectly replicate the image, I tried to add leaves on the areas that would make my artwork better. I chose mint green for this, but later on you would see I added a variety of greens. I have thought that using vibrant greens would make the sunflower stand out because the colors would contrast from each other.
As you can see, the image that I wanted to make is all coming out now.
And I am almost done! All I need to do is to peel off the washi tape.
I honestly felt so relieved when I was done. You see, I'm really used to painting on huge surfaces using different media, acrylic and oil paint. But now I am adopting to different media as well, the same thing with trying to adapt to the new normal. But regardless of the effort I put to with the new normal, and new medium, I am still looking forward to experiencing the old way of living.
I miss the freedom of the pre-pandemic years. Do you miss it as well?
She loves to work as an art teacher during summer -- sharing her expertise in art to young minds. She also loves to tutor students and make learning worthwhile. On the other hand, she works as a young leader in various organizations such as the Young Centrists Union. She also volunteers in one of the chapters of JCI or Junior Chamber International.
She always dreamed of creating her dream art studio and wish to inspire young minds to be more creative.