Hot off the Palette
"Lilacs on Antique Dresser", watercolour 12 x 16.5
On this particular painting I worked directly from a photograph which I had taken last summer. 
I had a bouquet of lilacs from my garden which I placed on an antique dresser and found great interest in the reflection of the lilacs in the mirror as well as the challenge of the wood grain.
Working on 200 lb. watercolour paper, I spent a great deal of time making sure my drawing was accurate before putting paint to paper. Once I was pleased with my drawing, I very quickly blocked in my main colors with light washes of watercolour paint.
Next I started working on the lilacs themselves, working from lighter to darker colors, often doing negative painting to give the effect of blossoms. Once the lilac areas were dry, I started to bring some life into the leaves, again working from light to dark bringing forth the shadows and contrast.
The wood grain itself was most challenging as I worked with several washes of paint, letting each dry throughly before applying the next, trying to bring the grain forward without muddying up the painting. It is important at this point to know when to stop, otherwise the painting will become overworked. Last, but not least I had fun with the refraction of the glass vase keeping lots of white paper showing, thus giving the painting a cleaner effect.
Even though I worked from a photograph, the final painting is very unique and customized to my own style of painting. My girlfriend, whose antique dresser I used, is very pleased with the end result.