Sometimes it just goes well. Before creating this piece, I wanted to paint a ski themed work of art for over a year. Every snow fall, Zach and I hit the slopes and ski as much as we can. As you may know, I love to paint places I've been, so the ski hill was at the top of my list.
Before this painting, I often drew out the whole composition of a painting before adding the watercolor. Pen, then paint. However this scene only had hard lines for the ski lift.
Looking at different reference images, I decided I wanted some moody colors at sunset to keep things interesting when the scene itself was fairly simple.
I jumped straight to watercolor paint, skipping my usual pen drawing. I embraced the effects of watercolor to create the sky and tree lines, letting the scene build up in layers. While simple, the watercolor created a beautiful effect all on its own.
Once the painting was done, I brought back out my pen and added the fine lines of the chair lift and wires swinging between. The contrast of the black against the gold was just, *chef's kiss*.
This looser process was so satisfying and stretched my abilities to pair pen and watercolor together. Sometimes, you gotta let the material shine and watercolor is one of those that can do a lot when you let it.
If you're a fellow slope shredder ;) check out the print here and enjoy the scene year round in your own home.
To see the whole process beginning to end, check out the video below.
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Stay creative!
