SpaceX Iteration & A Mossy Oak

Out hiking on a chilly, sunny day, I snapped photos of this terrific tree trunk with gnarly old roots clasping mossy rocks down by a stream.  I prefer to paint right outdoors while sitting on a rock, but the weather has been too cold for that. So, I painted this oak trunk from the photo I took.

After making a light pencil sketch, I applied masking fluid to the areas I wanted to keep white on the sunny side of the tree, and in the little lichen-covered spots.  Masking fluid protects areas of your painting from taking up paint, keeping the underlying paper white.  Masking fluid goes on a liquid, dries into a rubbery solid, and is easily removed by rubbing it off with a gum eraser or your finger. When your painting is done & dry, you remove the masking fluid so you can add any last touches.

After reading Cathy Johnson's book, Creating Textures in Watercolors, I was inspired to try mixing Burnt Sienna with Ultramarine Blue to create a gray trunk color.  I dropped in more Ultramarine Blue here and there to create shadows and a more varied wash. 

As I explore watercolor painting, I remind myself to take the approach of Elon Musk in creating new rockets. In his early stages of development, Elon loses a bunch of rockets in fiery disasters, but he & his team learn from each "rapid unscheduled disassembly."  In fact, Elon expects failures, stating, “If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

As a result of his design iteration process, SpaceX successfully launches more rockets than any other company in the world, and, in 2020, became the first private company ever to carry U.S. astronauts to the space station. 

I don't plan to make history, just to improve my painting skills.  I don't fail as spectacularly as a rocket, but I have ruined some paper learning.  

I recommend taking the SpaceX approach of trial and error and learning.  And don't forget to find some inspiration from other artists ... or rocketeers!