Making a Painting Glow

I’m back at the daily painting! Something about Inktober gets me so excited to paint! I’ve only officially done Inktober one year, a few years back, however this year I’m back at it again! I could just use some fresh inspiration for my painting practice. Normally I plug along and am really inspired, but every once in a while I hit a dry spot where the paint refuses to flow.

Today I want to share an art technique I learned from a book, many years ago! I cannot recall the name of the book, but I do remember the name of the author! I had two watercolor books by a woman named Carolyn Holman. Her books absolutely transformed the way I paint. They are out of print now, but I think she has a website.

The idea behind this technique, is to create a focal point for light. You can choose the middle of the paper, like I tend to do, or you could choose a different spot. Once you have your work drawn, wet down the paper. Choose three to five colors for this. Working quickly, put the lightest color in the middle, then work outward from light to dark. Add the paint in concentric circles. Continue adding colors around the yellow in circular patterns until the page is filled.

This is super fun, because you can add whichever colors you want in your painting. It works especially well with rainbow colors. Once everything dries, continue painting over the top in a different layer. It works well to use transparent or translucent paint for the bottom layer, and then layer with thicker washes over the top. You get to choose how much of the initial layer shows up in the final work.

I’ve decided to leave the work as is! I need to get to today’s artwork, or I will fall behind. I’m trying to do one prompt each day, but it might not happen! I’m trying to be compassionate with myself if I don’t meet my goals. However I’m also encouraging myself to keep showing up at the art table!