Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! Watermelons are a 4th of July favorite of mine...I love watermelon any time, but a good cold watermelon always reminds me of the 4th!

The painting above puts several techniques together that I have talked about recently. The special techniques used in this painting are:
1. The highlights on the bowl (both on the right and left) were made by using sandpaper to scrap away some of the paint after the bowl had dried.
2. Highlights on the small slice of watermelon on the right side were made using a craft knife and scraping down the edge and along the rind of the watermelon.
3. Highlights on the knife handle were also scraped in using a craft knife.
4. The wood grain on the handle was painted in with a dry brush after the initial wash had dried.

Watercolor Tip:
The drops of moisture on the bowl and in various spots on the watermelon slice near the knife were made using a very diluted wash of white paint. The paint was thinned with water just enough to allow the bowl and watermelon slice to show through, yet still retain the white color. Never use white watercolor paint to mix with other colors (like one would do when using acrylics); this will only "muddy" up the color. White paint is rarely used in watercolor painting. I only use it to add snow flurries or accents such as the water droplets in this painting.

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy some watermelon too!