Bad Lady

Here's the final panel on my watercolor experiment page. (I believe I mentioned that I was reworking a Hansel and Gretel comic.) I had some trouble with this panel the most. I think it was because I was more conscious of the fact that I was almost finished with this piece. If I messed up now, all kinds of thoughts would go through my head: "Is it worth it to start over?" "Should I just redo this panel or the whole thing?" "Do I even like this stupid piece?"

There was also the fact that I was trying to make sure it matched the last two. I was going so slowly and carefully, I couldn't get into my zone. You know what I'm talking about, right? That place where your mind retreats while working, and you move semi-consciously? I couldn't get there because I was too worried, too critical of what I was doing while I was doing it. I couldn't get out of my own way!

Finally I took a deep breath, imagined where it was I was trying to get this piece too, what mood I wanted to convey, and remember how much I enjoyed doing the last couple of panels. I opened my eyes and plunged in, brush loaded with pigment. Here's the result. With watercolor, I notice that I tend to get a very textured look. I worried about it for a minute, then realized I'm just starting out. I'm going to try to get my stroked a little more consistent, but I'm not worrying about it in the meanwhile. The one thing I can try to do is be a little more careful when I'm laying down my color. I get a little too enthusiastic and sometimes there's overlap.

Well, my confidence is riding high right now. I'm pulling out my portfolio and going over it with a critical eye. There are a couple of pieces I have that I think could be improved upon. heehee...
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In case you were interested, my next "re-do in watercolor" attempt will be the Hare and Hippo piece I did last spring. I won't be posting the final today, because those two are wearing some pretty detailed patterns. It's gonna take me for-ever to ink all those lines!