Pink Flower

The photo reference was posted on Watercolor Painting Techniques yahoo group for a March project. Since I'm currently in Kate Johnson's watercolor pencil class, I figured this would fit the lesson on flowers! I used Derwent Inktense watercolor pencil on Lama Li paper. The background is a technique I read about in a Karlyn Holman book where you wet the watercolor paper and then sand the pencil tips with 100 grit sand paper. It's really fun and easy! Just cut a piece of sand paper into a square, it needs to be small enough to fit in your cupped hand. Choose the color/colors of pencils you want to use, wet the paper in small segments at a time. Rub the tip of the dry pencil across the sandpaper, that is cupped in your palm -- kind of a funnel shape cup-- and direct the shavings onto the wet portion of the paper. Let it dry and then hold it over a trash bag/can and blow the residue off. Continue on, doing a small portion at a time, be very careful not to wet the part that's already been done or it will run. Surprisinging enough, very little pencil is wasted. I sanded and then tapped the paper and then sanded and tapped again -- repeating in this way kept the pigment from building up on the sandpaper."