White Roses

Morning, Gary!  I'm having a fight with a painting right now - an acrylic: I'm used to painting in acrylic, and colours not blending, but... well, I know what's wrong with it: I should have added another coat of primer, and didn't, so the canvas is drinking my paint.  But enough of my troubles - let's heave a sigh of relief by turning to yours!  I was interested in your comment that, for you, watercolours turn to mud - the usual reason for that is making a mess of colour mixing, principally not knowing how to mix colour.  But your work in acrylic shows that isn't your problem: procrastination might be, but then - join the club! I don't know that I have an answer to your watercolour problem, then: but would suggest experimenting with papers until you find the "right" one, i.e. the one you can work with.  There are papers - Fabriano being one - on which I just can't work; whatever I try to do turns to disaster.  Maybe that's your problem - I've taken to three or four papers (in no order, Arches, Bockingford, Saunders, and Hahnemühle rough torchon - I like the last of these so much that I've even gone to the trouble of learning how to do the Umlaut, with help from Tanja Gerster and others) that I can work with; there are others, not all of them the more expensive cotton rag types - Bockingford isn't - but these form my present staple brands; and I'm always in seach of others, limited only by finances. It's a bit of a faff, having to play with different papers, but worth it in the end; and maybe you can find mixed packs - always remembering which is which. Your present project seems to be coming on very well, so have faith: you WILL get there.  And so shall I - just not at all sure when.....

Your work in oil, I think I meant.  And if your roses really are in acrylic, just ignore my wittering: I don't do mornings - even 10am is a struggle...

Gary to pick up on Roberts comments about watercolour paper the one I use mostly is Bockingford it a good price and decent quality paper. The smith is better for most floral paintings but I do the the rough texture, main thing is to buy a heavy paper as lighter ones tend to cockle when using paint quite wet . I have a pad that I like and will take a photo when I get home and post it , not heavy paper but good for mist jobs cost about £18 for a hundred sheet pad . I also like a 100% hand made rag paper that I bought from Amazon it was quite cheat as it’s made in India but is like a very thick card and extremely rough surface . 

When I first saw your roses I thought they were painted with oils, Gary. Then I saw the book, thanks for shearing this. Both roses and glass work are excellent. Beautiful work. Also, there's nothing wrong with the addition of a decaying bloom, adds to the nature of the subject.  

Thank you Carol. They are painted in oils. The book was posted by Paul as a suggestion for me to look at :-)