The start of June was all in Sri Lanka with Et-chan and I did no watercolor practice at all and very little drawing. So, after a bit of a hiatus I sat down again in Kuta Lombok to get back into it.

The place: Sitting outside at Surfer’s Paradise.

On the right, the first attempt. Just kinda boring. One the left, the second attempt where I took the liberty of transplanting a palm tree. I also tried to tighten in on the water tower a bit. That big expanse of roof in the lower right on the first one is doing nothing.

And, this is where I probably should have just stopped. The foliage needs a bit more differentiation and depth, but whatevs.

But, I went ahead and added the sky. It’s just kind of boring. It truly was that color. And, not a cloud in the sky. But that doesn’t make it good. It kind of made the edge of the palm trunk? But otherwise not doing much. As somebody on some video tutorial said, “You don’t have to color everything in like a child.” True. I should probably stop earlier in many cases.

Posted previously also at Island Hopping Part Five.

And, now for something not from life but from a photo. But, I have walked past this house so many times and stopped to admire it that I have a strong memory and feel for the place. Looking back at this a month or so later, I’m still pretty satisfied with this, so I’ll take that as a success for now. I think the best aspect here is that it is more watercolorish in the sense that the greenery in the background, especially the upper left, and the rocks and road in the foreground are less detailed and less controlled–the water and paint do their thing a little bit. Only the nearest parts of the house have clear detail and in some places clearer brushstrokes. Finally something that doesn’t look completely flat.