Weekly Challenge

Another of my weekly challenges, digitally painting the plants around me from life. Yet again, it was a refreshing change of pace from my usual style and workflow.

There’ve been brushes that looked similar to traditional watercolor/gouache/oil paints for a long time, but it’s only recently that I’ve found ones that begin to replicate the feel as well as the look. My foundation is in watercolor and gouache, so it’s very gratifying knowing I can bring those mediums back into my work without the mess and hassle of working truly mixed-media.

I’ve got some rules for these weekly challenges, because heaven forbid one have fun without guidelines!

1. You absolutely cannot post about your challenge in either public or private channels before it’s complete. This is the most important rule. I’m tired of the cycle of grand promises (that nobody asked for) gradually giving way to shame and groveling (that nobody’s owed) when one inevitably can’t maintain the challenge a full month (because of illness/undiagnosed ADHD/unexpected family obligations/etc). If you finish and have something to show for it, go ahead and share when you’re done.

2. You absolutely must fulfill the challenge every day, none of this “Eh, I’ll put it off and knock out a bunch on Friday evening” or “I’ll build a buffer at the start and then coast” garbage. If it’s not something you can sustainably do daily, it’s a bad challenge.

3. If it turns out you can’t sustain the workload or it feels like a chore rather than an exciting change of pace, you have to quit immediately. No slogs, no guilt.

4. The challenge does not have to be about art. It can be anything you’ve been meaning to do. Declutter your digital photos, restart your Duolingo streak, cook new recipes.

Brushes used above are watercolor and gouache sets from Lisa Glanz. I’ve also heard good things about Maxpacks, and am eyeing the retro print brushes from True Grit Texture Supply. Modern brush designers are so powerful!