still painting mud

TessaW

While the colors are muted, I don't find this particularly muddy, but perhaps your intended lighting effect didn't turn out the way you wanted? What was your intention with the lighting? As far as values go, Creative Composition is pretty helpful in terms of helping you to control values to help with focal points.

lmrush

@Heather-Boyd That is awesome! Thanks!

lmrush

@burvantill That is a fun idea-and no pressure!

Jason Bowen

I know what you mean watercolours are best when you charge them full of pigments. I did loads of paintings that looked washed out and I kept going back to gouache because my paintings looked pale then I thought I would use more paint and that worked for me... anyway years later here is an example that you could do just using more pigment. I think it looks better, see what you think it might help.

Ps. I used curves on photoshop to darken everything then removed some dark where the characters are.

JerrySketchyArt

@lmrush Have you watched Marco Bucci's watercolor sketching video on here? He creates really vibrant scenes with watercolors (and a little gouache).

lmrush

@TessaW Thanks! I will go back and re watch, it has been a while since I saw it. My intention was to use proper lighting, proper shadows from the light source-successfully

lmrush

@Jason-Bowen WOW! Thanks, load more paint, I will give it a try!

lmrush

@Jason-Bowen Jason, I had trouble replicating the curves you did, but had fun plying around with a bit of color, thanks!

Jason Bowen

Nice I like it

NelsonYiap

This looks charming. Wouldn't call it muddy though. Maybe cause a lot of the colours are very earthy/warm? It could also be the use of black (payne's grey?) which could be bringing the colours toward it. It's definitely harmonious enough though with the exception of the very black chairs, but that's a real nitpick. Keep it up!

lmrush

@NelsonYiap Thank you for your kind words, I feel like 2 steps forward 20 back sometimes

sketchbook

Maybe you’re already doing these, but I thought I'd mention these painting tips because they changed my watercolor practice.

Use two big water cups for rinsing your brush. Keep one for getting the the brush mostly clean and use a second for getting that last bit of pigment out before switching colors.

Also, start with a fresh pallet and clean paints. Watercolor pallets have a tendency to get pretty 'cruddy'. All that paint hiding in corners and at the edges of old mixing areas can easily contaminate a bright color making it mud before you ever get brush to paper.

Take your tube of black paint and toss it in the bin. Adding black to any color turns it into mud. Mix your shadows by adding a dark blue or brown.

Use a limited pallet (this is one I am still working on) pick the colors you will use and isolate them on your pallet. For instance, you will be amazed at how much you can paint with just burnt sienna and deep ultramarine.

And finally, you might want to make a mixing chart to help you find colors that play well together and those that don’t. Every brand is a little different here, so you’ll want to do it yourself with the paints you’ll use rather than depend on one you find on line.

Hope this helps you wade through the muddy shores of watercolor out into the crystal clear watercolors beyond.

lmrush

@sketchbook I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all these tips. Here’s to clearer watercolours!