Compilation posts are always fun to do, since I get to show some of the work in progress shots and the final pieces. Another picture heavy post ahead!

One of my “manifests” or resolutions this year was to draw more roses. I also realized that I have a hard time painting with red. In my eyes, it felt like most of the reds doesn’t look right to me. Below are some work in progress shots, and the compiled final versions. I especially love the blooms the paint created on the paper. If I recall correctly, Daler Rowney paper is notorious to make these blooms on my artworks.

The carnation in the middle is a collaboration with @thepaintbud. My version is loose and represents my overall style. Riya’s version is more on the botanical side with all of the details drawn! ♥

I also bought these paper from National Bookstore when we went out around February. Then the rose and peony below were my only paintings before I went on hiatus for a while. The reason? The release of Bravely Default 2 and Monster Hunter Rise on switch HAHA. I tried a very wet on wet style for the base of the rose, didn’t liked it, gave the goal signal to myself to use my color pencils. The peony one was my first try with the paper that I bought. Didn’t like the paper at first, so I used color pencils again. And look at the difference between the photo and the photoshopped version. Amazing! 

I went back to painting by May, and look at all of the artworks that I did! I started with these calachuchi or frangipani flower in cheap watercolor paper. Realizing that, “yeah, I need practice” because look at the gradients! Color pencils again to the rescue.

The white orchid with gold accents – I’m not sure when I made this one. I think around Feb-March? I didn’t post it until May. Painting the white flowers took less than adding the gold borders! The next one is the pink orchid on one of the newer papers that I bought, didn’t liked it and forgot about it until May as well. And there’s the calachuchi in final form. I really liked the textures that the color pencil gives to my works.

And then it was spring in other parts of the world, which meant that there would be a ton of tulip photos! I’m a member of a free photo reference group in a Facebook group. Photographers give artists rights to paint their photos, and credit not required but is greatly appreciated. The left and right tulips were from the said group, while the middle one is from Ruth. She planted her own tulip in Japan. Look at all of those folds and color variations! ♥

A plumbago and a sunflower. The plumbago photo reference was given to me by my officemate during one of her strolls in UP. The sunflower one is from the photo reference facebook group. I always go for sunflowers whenever I felt like practicing.

Then there were roses and a gardenia. I made the gardenia flower on one of the papers that I bought too. And again, didn’t like it and went with color pencils. The actual artwork’s color is a bit dull, but with the power of Photoshop and saturation it now looks vibrant. 

I have no idea why I shifted from tulips to roses. Maybe because I felt a little bit guilty of not painting more roses? Anyway, the left most looks the most polished since I made this one with gouache. I love that you could just pile on color after color until you’re satisfied with it. The other two roses were a bit challenging. They don’t look right to me.

That’s it for the first half of the year. I made more works during the last half. I hope to continue writing about those! It is now December 30 2021. I don’t think I can finish everything about 2021 until tomorrow lol. And the tradition of backlogs continues!