June each year is the month for an unusual challenge: 30x30 Direct. What it asks is that you do a painting a day, using only a brush and watercolors—no underdrawing or sketch, no pencil or pen, just you and the paintbrush on the paper. It's a great exercise to train your eye to see without using your hand and mind to pre-delineate all the lines. It asks you to see shapes rather than outlines, and that's harder than you would think.
I don't know that I'll make it through 30 in 30 days, but I thought I'd start today and see what happens. I did a quick and somewhat "dirty" little paintbrush sketch of a photo I took this morning in my garden—the first nasturtiums of the season, in sun and shadow. It's a bit of a mess, since I didn't let things dry before going into other areas, but I think it conveys the feeling of nasturtiums, at least.
I got a little carried away with the spatter, and am kind of sorry I went there at all, but it's the first day, so mistakes are okay! Ha!
"30x21_Nasties"—Paul Jackson watercolors in Bee mixed media sketchbook, approx. 7x7 inches.
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