the peonies..

          I put some masking fluid to save the whites for the water droplets. Don`t leave it on for more than 2-3 days. The lower flower has quin red , quin red mixed with new gamboge (to get a red orange), perylene maroon for the shadows, also a bit of ultramarine blue and ruby red. It is yet to open fully and is warmer than the upper one which has the same colors but more of ruby red. Perylene maroon may look very bright with a burnt orange hue while it is still wet, but gets a lot more dull towards a maroon shade after it has dried.

       If you`re having trouble with values, start out with painting a single flower or leaf with a single color from a black and white photo. Choose any dark valued color so that you can make use of the maximum number of values. A yellow will not give you the complete range. Any deep red or blue will work. Make a value scale with the color from 1 to 9 or from 1 to 5 if thats all you can differentiate for now. There`s a section on this in Beginnier`s cove > color theory > values. Wet a petal with clear water, let it sink in a bit while you determine which the lightest value is on that particular petal in the photo. It can be a 1 or 2 or 3 if its a sunlit petal but also in the higher range if it is in shadow. Lay that value in, determine what the next value is and lay that (the mix will be stronger now) on the first wash but not completely covering it. This wash will gently flare on the first one giving a soft edge if you have the right amount of moisture both on the brush and the paper. (u will get better with practice). You can continue doing this with the next values all the way till the darkest. But if the petal has reached the damp-dry stage before you have complete it, stop and let dry completely while you work on another petal. Later, make another wash of clear water and  start putting in the darker values. If you are confident you have got the hang of this, do the same flower with the full set of colors. Choose only the three primaries if you have a problem with color harmony. The red closest to the flower, a yellow to warm it and a blue for a cooler hue. Lay in the lightest values, but which color is that lightest value? Is it a bright red-orange, a red, a red tending towards violet or a dull red tending towards maroon? You can`t go wrong if you`re careful at each stage. Slowly you will realize you`re making  color choices instinctively and without fuss. Have fun and good luck…….