I did a small practice painting 6" x 7"of my niece (Kellie Geib) holding a kitten. I have the picture drawn on a larger board 12"x16" and thought I should test the colors first. I was all excited about painting the larger version a couple days ago, but now the trepidation sets in, as if it's THAT important. In watercolor, the first wash of paint is very important - because it's the foundation on which you base all other colors. This gessoed paper is forgiving though, I can 'erase' colors easily. But it is hard, (so far), to make a smooth colored area like the face without getting a grainy look. This is a good paper to practice putting down color and leaving it ALONE - something we artists find hard to do sometimes. I had to make such decisions as: Do I add some blue for the sky? Which corn stalks do I make darkest? How does someone's eye get led around the painting?
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