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kasatkaorca — Seaward
Published: 2005-04-02 14:41:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 3117; Favourites: 130; Downloads: 138
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Description
Trying out watercolor. I know the anatomy is off (chunky!dolphin) but does anybody have watercolor advice? I was trying to darken the dolphin by putting a thin layer of black on. I needed it a bit darker, so I added more black over the colored areas, but the original painted black just sort of... lifts off. And it's really hard to get it to "stick" back on. Maybe it's the way my set of colors created their black, I dunno. I don't have that problem so much with the other colors, just black.Some day I'm DEFINITELY going to take an art class. I really want to learn how to use watercolors properly, instead of just going at it like I have been.
Based off a photo by Brandon Cole , used with permission.
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Comments: 41
I just looked at the original picture, and I like yours better! The original picture makes the dolphin look like it has anorexia or something.. :S Yours seems to be normal. I'll definately fave it!
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Oh wow... that's amazing, it looks so peaceful, and I love the angle you've chosen! Awesome work with the colours.
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looks very challenging to do. nicely done, great job!!!!!
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wow...you really captured the water effect!
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You can get lovely dark black mixing french ultramarine with burt umber or winsor violet (dioxazine) with burnt umber.... I try not to use black whent painting with water colors, complementary colors are king! 
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You said you used brown with black to darken the colors? When you mix complementaries, it usually comes out a brown shade anyway. ^^ I find black dulls down shadows, where the complimentaries have a more earthy shadow. That's wierd that the black is lifting off though... You said you're comfortable with acrylic, you could try thinning down some black acrylic with water. Acrylic is often used on top of watercolor.
It's a beautiful painting! Lovely composition and you nailed that pose. And I love the texture of the sky.
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Thanks
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Doooooood!! Pieces like this make me wish you had a prints account! 
I don't know much about watercolor, so I can't help you there. But I really love the colors you chose! Very pretty, warm feel to it!
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Hehe, thanks. I told the photographer I wouldn't sell the original/prints though.
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damn, you pwned that view/angle and your use of water colors is mind blowing. Excellent!
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This is AWESOME!! I LOVE Brandon Cole's photography, too, this is a must fav. ^^ You did it perfectly
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Wow! This is superb, I love the color palette you've used. About the black lifting it can be a problem of the kind of paper too but since you say it hasn't happened with the other colors I would say you're using black black (I mean not a mixed black) the problem with black is it bleeds, you could try a mix of burnt sienna or umber and french ultramarine to get a good black, or use your black as the last layer. Still you should be able to put another layer of black on top, try to add it with a soft brush (not sinthetic) which won't rub the undercoat too much. Anyway, my advice for this one is --> don't touch it anymore, it looks perfect right now
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It's beautiful!
Shadows are made with ... hmph.. hey i know this, how i cant remember it....
Anyway it had something to do with complementary colors and warm and cold colors.
Anyway, it's beautiful painting. Goog job.
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Thanks - and it's complimentary colors. I guess I should've used blue and purple (compliments of orange and yellow) but I used brown mixed with black to darken it, because the photo looked more brown. Then I tried to lay over some more black to make it a bit darker and then used straight black to define the spine. Bleh, hehe.
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Tht is so preaty IT looks like a photo from far away
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This looks VERY good In fact i think i'll Fave it
The dorsal seems a liitle bit too small or is it just me ? =/
Anyways AWSOME Job!
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Well, olphins/Bottlenose&image=mt106.jpg& img=0&search=bottlenose%20dolphin&cat=all& tt=&bool=and">here is the original photo, if you want to look. 
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Bleh, that didn't work well
olphins/Bottlenose&image=mt106.jpg&img=0& search=bottlenose%20dolphin&cat=all&tt=& bool=and">link
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Okay, guess that didn't work well. I think DeviantArt has problems with the way the link is created. So if you want to see the image, click on the link in the description, and look under "Bottlenose dolphins" hehe.
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Beautiful!
I'm sure you did, but did you wait for the paint to dry before trying to add a black layer?
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Yup! When I apply a wet brush to it, however, the black just lifts right off. I have a hard time getting it to stay down again and usually have to make the paint pretty thick and sort of glop it on and wait for it to dry, which makes blending harder. I think one of my problems is that I want to treat watercolor paint like acrylics.
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Weird... yeah I need to take a watercolors class too
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