Dandelion plant studies

For these studies I washed a page in my watercolor sketchbook with a light yellow green. I created a grid of six boxes in which I hoped to work six different ways of working.

The first box was created using watercolors, inks and acrylics. I tried to create different washes of strokes to create a sense of depth. The overall effect created a surface fractured pattern, but not a convincing sense of depth.

In the second box, on the right hand side I left the original wash of yellow-green exposed and worked watercolor pencil on top of it. I tried to work the background in a slightly less defined manner. I also used chalk pastel in areas to create darker tones. In areas there is a greater sense of depth than in the previous box.

In the third top right hand box I used chalk pastels in the background to try to create an out of focus feel. I used an eraser to pick out the lighter leaves in the background. I think this effect could work, but the foreground leaves were not contrasting enough in definition and color.

For the bottom left hand box I tried to adopt a slightly looser interpretation of the background greenery. Then I left the original wash color unworked in areas of the foreground leaves to try to create a difference between the foreground and the background.

By the middle box I was getting tired and a bit lacking in ideas. I tried to create a more decorative and less realistic approach to the same section of leaves. I use water colors in washes to create the various hues.

For my final box I applied tissue paper with the word "opposite" printed on it and tried an 'opposite' approach. I kept my strokes gestural and loose.

Out of all of the studies, I preferred the depth and layered effect of the bottom left-hand corner sketch. I will try to develop this way of working in my next larger, full-page sketch.

Fig. 1 Small area studies.

My friend and colleague, Mirjana Maresenic Vujovic, commented on my use of neat black and white in these sketches. She feels that my use of these neat colors has the effect of flattening the images and deadening them. She suggested that I add tinges of other colors to my white before application and that I try to create my own blacks, to ensure that they are deep and strong in intensity.