I finally finished my first painting of 2008. Yeah, I know it's already a month and a half in...LOL

My Only Friend:

9x12 watercolor with ink, white gouache, metallic watercolor pencils and iridescent medium on 140# hotpress.

And detail shots:

Her blue eye with the iridescent medium.

Her hair elastic. I used metallic watercolor pencils for the first time. Not quite as metallic, as I'd hoped, so I added some iridescent medium to it.

This was about trying new things. I actually used complimentary colors to shade some of the painting. I've tried this before and failed dismally. I'm glad it worked this time, especially on the rose. I used a frisket for the first time. I used Grumbacher's Miskit Frisket. I LOVE IT. I could salt wash the border and leave the rest of the painting neat and clean. I also used my scrubby brushes for the first time. I got them at DickBlick and they're like Magick erasers!! You just have to be careful not to scrub too hard, or it will ruin the paper. I could even take up the INK!!

As with a lot of my paintings, this one dictated her own terms. I was going to do a dark brunette or maybe black hair. I was going to do blue or purple streaks in her hair. I was going to do a monochrome. All black and greys with just ONE color to accent.

But she decided differently. She insisted on being blonde. She insisted that she only wanted RED streaks. She told me she wanted to be bolder and more colorful.

My husband, Greg suggested the blue wings to match her eyes. I'm so glad I listen to him. He's my color coordinator. He's helped me out a lot on paintings in regard to colors.

This is for an ongoing project involving a lot of dark, emo, gothy art and some dark poetry. It's going to be for a good cause when it's complete. If I ever complete it. :P It's been in the works for 2 years so far.

I hope you all enjoy her. I know some of you see this ALL OVER the place. Sorry about that. :P

*HUGS ALL TIGHT*