STILL LIFES: CLOSE QUARTERS

This is another still life I did. This time I focused on composition. I feel that I have made some good headway with looser washes and a better sense of control over my colors compared to the first one.

I did 3 different studies to find the best composition using black and white chalks on newsprint. I feel that this is a necessary step as you are most expressive in this stage. You don't have to worry about "ruining" it since it's all meant to be quick, committing to nothing. When you finally nail it down, the next challenge is to transfer the same proportions to the actual watercolor paper you will be working on.

I liked how the light was bouncing off the white mug and metal knife. The exercise proves that even "white" is not pure white but a reflection of the colors around it.