Challenge of the Month -Blue Nature Illustrations

Hello There,

Here I am again with the challenge of the month. The challenge is to illustrate scenes of nature using the color blue.

I don't work with blue as often as I should. It's a very versatile color with the ability to be bold, calming, fluid, and peaceful. That's just scratching the surface of the color blue's potential.

Also, I could brush up on my nature illustration. Nature is always something that transcends boundaries, not to mention puts us at ease. No matter where you're from seeing a painting or illustration of your favorite animal always puts you in a good mood.

Plus, I had to use watercolors/gouache, a medium that I enjoy but isn't easy for me to work with.

Here is what I came up with. For the first three pictures, I used a specialty paper I had never used before. The paper absorbed the color very quickly and the colors were very high saturated without having to try. Therefore after some practice I learned that the brushwork had to be quick, the first stroke determined the shape.

The last two where used on standard cold press watercolor paper that doesn't buckle when water is applied judiciously. The paper has less absorbancy so you have time to make long brushstrokes and control the water beads. But with no texture , the colors are less bright and require a high pigment mixture to achieve a bold color