I’ve almost the feeling that i repeat myself a lot in my watercolor’s subjects. But in order to progress, i need to repeat and re-do again and again, don’t i ?! So this week i’m painting again lily pads which are quite a coming a going subject in my sketchbooks.
I’m very clearly influenced by the impressionist current and i admire a lot all the paintings from this era. So as you can expect, i’m also fascinated by ponds and lily pads (or waterlilies?). It’s subject i found very poetic and romantic in a way. My reference picture is coming as usual from the botanic garden in Stockholm. But i also see this plant almost everyday in the waterway close to my home. I’ve tried a lot of time to paint it with various result. The sketch above is one of my favorite because it’s very colorful and also because the lily pads are barely recognizable.
I painted this new version of my lily pads basing myself on my reference picture for the construction but with the liberty and the fluidity of my first sketch. And i restraint a little bit the colors so that the image is a bit more unified. And the result was way further than what i expected !
Watercolor lily pads in video
Supplies :
Brush : Escoda Aquario nº18.
Paper : Canson Héritage hot pressed.
Colors : Ultramarine blue (Daniel Smith), Rose madder lake (Sennelier), Lavander (Daniel Smith), Nickel azo yellow (Daniel Smith), Payne’s grey (Sennelier).
And here you have the finished painting (click to enlarge) :
