Blick Studio Acrylic Paints, Getting Started

 The Road To Water Lilies:

After 40 years of using the same acrylic paints I was unsure about changing brands but when this sample kit brought the price down to less than a dollar per tube I couldn't resist the urge to try it out.

It's been a very pleasant surprise so far.

 

I had started this painting back in 1991 and decided to paint out the large tree that dominated it with the new paints. I was very pleased with both the way the paint went on and the way it really covered the old work.

I don't know which way this painting is going but I know I  have enough paint to get me there. And I'm really enjoying working with these new paints.

            The Painting Takes A Surprising Turn:

Whenever an image starts to appear I'm never sure whether to bring it out or keep on painting until it disappears again. What are your opinions on the subject?

I'm assuming this was the result of all of the chaos going on in the world these days. What do you think?

Whatever it is, I kind of like it and will set it aside until it calls to me again.

It turns out that the painting won't stop calling me:

I took detail photos of each section of the painting  to evaluate what I had and where to go next.

This section of the painting was well on it's way to becoming an abstract expressionist painting in it's own right but then I'd either had to cut the painting or work over the figure in the corner.

 I took my lead from the serenity of the character and have decided to put a water lily pond behind her.

Follow along and discover it with me. Grab your brushes and paint along.

 

First I roughed in the shape and location of the flowers with painting knives and my fingers.

Next I mixed a thinner white paint and refined the shapes of the petals.

After that it was just a matter of adding some pinks and reds to make them stand out.

Here I've begun making changes with the lily pads.

There were too many lily pads and not enough open water so I began painting over some of the flowers and the lily pads.

 

Already you can see a difference from opening up the water area.

I kept removing more flowers and lily pads.

Each step of the way I liked it more and more.

This has been a very long process and may go on for years but it is reassuring to know that I will always have this painting to run away into whenever real life gets to difficult or complicated. It is truly my ''Happy

 Place". THANK YOU MR. MONET. You changed my life.

No matter which way I changed the lily pads and flowers they just didn't feel right so  I took them all out and started over.

Before I did that I went back I watched all the video that I could to see how real waterlilies look and grow. No way to make mistakes then.