Written by When I was a kid, I dreamed of being able to fly and I was always fascinated with birds of all kinds so that’s my flying thing for today’s prompt. Since I love all kinds of birds, I couldn’t decide what kind to paint, and ended up with a mallard duck, simply because I like the colors and had to chose something quickly before getting too lost in looking at bird references. Ducks do fly, but they’re more often spotted on the ground or in the water. So, though grounded, my duck is dreaming about where to fly next. The duck and I have this in common, as I’m always thinking about where I’d like to go next. You’ll find me staring up into the clouds contemplating things much of the time. My inability to fly doesn’t stop me from dreaming big dreams and trying new things. And even if the dream is too big to achieve, the act of simply dreaming it feels like I’ve taken flight. My heart races and I get excited about all the possibilities spinning around in my mind. And, after all, the more things you dream about doing, the more likely that just one of those dreams might actually come true.
Also, for some reason, when painting a duck like this one, I always use Viridian, which is a color that I really love , but strangely, seldom tend to use. I so often stick to a very small palette for my doodlewashes, so it was fun to play with this color again. If you have been painting along with me each day for World Watercolor Month, I hope you’re also having a fantastic time. It’s so much fun! There have been thousands of watercolors posted online to celebrate, at least one every single minute of each day since the month began and that’s a beautiful thing indeed! Keep them coming and if you’re just discovering our celebration, jump in any time by adding the hashtag #WorldWatercolorMonth when you post watercolors (or gouache) online! If you’ve never tried watercolor before, then consider giving it a go this month! I tried for the first time three years ago and can’t stop now. Yes, it’s that much fun! Well, the way I approach it, at least. I never put any pressure on myself to make something amazing, I just start sketching and painting each day and enjoy the process.
Oh sure, don’t get me wrong, I do dream that something will fly off the page in glorious grandeur. I do hope for the best each time, but some days are just a bit better than others. I rather liked how my duck turned out today, but some days I think, meh, that wasn’t what I envisioned at all. But, I keep painting, and I keep dreaming each day of what I’d like to see next. One of those dreams will always come true. As I stare into the sky these days, my mind is filled with a million ideas and I know I can’t possibly pursue them all. But as I’m seeing those thousands of beautiful watercolors scroll by that each of you have shared and tagged in celebration of World Watercolor Month, I’m humbled and thrilled. And, as I see orders come in from our Souvenir Shop and know that ALL of the proceeds will go to Dreaming Zebra to get art supplies for kids who need them, I’m overjoyed. This was one dream that most definitely came true and I can’t thank you all enough for making it happen. I’m still very much that little kid hoping to do great things in the world, while staring into the clouds and dreaming of flying things.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Yellow Ochre, Nickel Azo Yellow, Benzimida Orange, Quinacridone Red, Leaf Green, Terra Cotta, and Cobalt Blue. M. Graham: Viridian. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Beautiful job on the mallard. You’ve captured his reflective green head! I love ducks of all kinds.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕They’re such beautiful creatures So much fun to paint!
Wonderful Mallard and love the Viridian (I see a trip to my local art store in the near future). So happy that World Watercolor Month is such a success….what’s not to love about watercolors?
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 Yes, Viridian is such a great color. Definitely a must have! And yay for watercolors! Best medium ever!
I love the way your duck turned out today too! Viridian is such a weak color, but when it works, no color can beat it. It’s a color that dreams beyond its scope and when the time is right it soars. Sort of fits your theme for today’s ramble!
Aww thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 So true! I’ve only gotten Viridian to produce a shiny duck so far. But, that’s fine by me!
The meh days make me giggle, and come to think of it so do the awesome days. Watching colors dance always makes me happy.
All days spent painting with watercolor should be giggle worthy! It’s so impossible to know what will happen and so fun! 😃💕
He is a jaunty little guy! Did I ever dump my favorite quite on you? Samuel Beckett. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 Awww I love that quote! Words to live by for sure!
You really caught that metallic look the green feathers have. I use viridian a lot, especially when capturing the tropical colors in Caribbean waters
Thanks so much, Eliska! 😃💕Yeah, Viridian is a great for painting those waters. So beautiful! Now I want to go to the Caribbean! hehe
Vebrent colour its pretty.duck.
Thanks Charlie.
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕
Beautiful mallard duck. Always a pretty bird to paint.
Thanks, June! 😃💕Yeah, I think this might just be my favorite bird to paint. I love all of the colors!
I went a bit outside the box. I considered one of the hummingbirds that frequent my Mother’s feeder, or a nice fat bumblebee photo I took in Oakhurst on the way to Yosemite but decided to do the small plane my brother flies for some company that is like über for airplanes. A bit boring but it has clouds in the sky and I don’t get to do clouds too often. I also wanted to try to make something interesting out of a pretty mundane subject.
I do have some nice photos of mallards but I’ve been saving them. I want to try some of Daniel Smith’s iridescent and duochrome watercolors and maybe even Yupo paper to make my ducks really…quack.
A plane is a perfect choice for the prompt! 😃💕 And I rarely paint backgrounds, but clouds are my favorite part. hehe I think a mallard would definitely quack with Daniel Smith and Yupo! Do it!!
Really love the mallard, the viridian is lovely. I think the ”Meh” day are almost each day for me lol, but I still have fun.
Thanks so much, Mélissa! 😃💕hehe… every day with watercolor should only be fun. It’s such a fun process. I say, we “meh” away and enjoy it! 😉