BLOG about PAINTING

Tackling the weeping willow again. Yesterday, I found it hard to make the beautiful yellow-orange shoots stand out and yet be slender as they should be. I tried a new tack today. First, I underpainted the whole piece in yellow-orange. Next I laid in the tree and the background. Then I scratched back through the higher layers to the bright background...

As Robbie Burns had it,

“The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,

Gang aft agley.

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,

For promis'd joy!"

Well, my plans went awry all right. That didn't work. So I had to add in the yellow-orange shoots on top of what was already there and ended up with the same problem as yesterday! I went back in and added more background and generally fiddle-farted around and ended up with this:

I can't say it's an improvement. I actually prefer the older one. It was done on red paper, and at least the little bits of paper showing through add some sparkle to yesterday's. This one just looks dull.

Oh, well. I'll just have to keep pushing this image until I get something that I like.