Off Day

I know everyone gets off days (don’t they?). They aren’t as enjoyable as days off. It seems to me that off days occur mostly when you’ve just done a piece that you’re really pleased with, or one which represents a leap forward of some kind.

Today felt like an off day for me. I wanted to make a picture, the Japanese anemones are doing their stuff beautifully in the garden… but it just didn’t happen as I hoped. Every stroke and splot felt rather poorly executed and ill judged. Maybe part of the problem was that I wasn’t observing closely enough.

Here are some words of advice I think I need to hear:

It’s ok to be loose, but it’s definitely not ok just not to bother having a really good look at what you’re painting. Because by the time you realise you’ve been sloppy, it’s too late and you’ll have the devil of a time correcting your picture.

If you put the pink on when the background is still wet, you’re just asking for trouble, and you may have to lift it out, which will leave bare patches in your background. So be patient!

Also, if you’re wearing a fluffy jumper, beware that it can catch on the bottom of your picture and smear the paint around – watercolourists don’t usually use jumpers to achieve paint effects, probably for good reason.

So, what can I say? I’ve sharpened up this watercolour sketch a bit using my fineliner, but I’m still not overjoyed. But as with all pictures, there’s something I can find to like – today it’s the top right hand corner with its crunchy edge. Onwards and upwards!