Exercise: Free expression - Desert

I really wanted to keep this piece minimalist, so I was surprised after laying the first wash of paint just how minimal it ended up being!

I started with some rolling lines in wax crayon which I then painted between. 

I then allowed that first layer to dry. While I was looking at the painting I really felt that adding more colour would probably make the painting loose its simplicity. It was a very hard thing to resist filling the paper with painting but I decided if I worked on another painting it may make me feel less driven to add more paint to Desert 1. 

I then worked in a hot red tone which I had already mixed in preparation for adding to the above image. I wanted this painting to continue the theme without being a copy of Desert 1. 

This was the resultant painting, Desert 2

The red is fairly heavily saturated but I have tilted the paper as the paint dried to create a shaded effect. I am really enjoying the simplicity of simply exploring the qualities of watercolour again as I opt for a simpler abstract approach.

Finally I felt this series would not be complete without a third painting, bridging the gap between red and yellow by choosing a vibrant orange. These are all the warm colours I originally intended to use for the initial completed painting.

For Desert 3 I tilted the paper for quite a while longer to allow the paint to dry with a very definite shading to the dried paint which I thing suggests a three d effect.