Going Solar

Surely, not another sunflower! Oh yes, and this time, it's two (four, actually, but you have to look for the other two). This one is painting 8 in my 30x30 challenge.

11x6" Watercolor and Ink on Aquabord. Click on the image to buy.

11x6" Watercolor and Ink on Aquabord. Click on the image to buy.

If you're wondering, watercolor went on first, ink later. I used a dip pen and FW acrylic ink:

 I didn't exactly plan it this way, but I felt like my watercolor painting needed a little pizzaz and the red ink fit the bill (here's another painting with red ink lines, where ink went on first)

A couple of closeup details that show the layers of watercolor washes and variation in ink lines:

Tip: if you want to make your ink lines more lively, ditch the felt tip pens and try a dip or bamboo pen. A lot of people are afraid of dip pens because they might drip and leave a blob of ink where you don't want it. It happens, but as with anything, practice makes perfect.

I'm off for the next two days. Maybe I'll ponder changing the color scheme and subject matter a bit. Have a fabulous weekend!