That Witch Does Not Kill Us
…only makes us stronger. That’s the theory, anyway. That’s why I stumble through watercolor illustrations every so often, like a bull in a china shop, trying to smash out something decent. This week, it’s a storybook witch and her two familiars. Maybe it’ll be easier to find my path through this familiar territory.
The hurdle I have to jump with watercolor is that watery-ness of it all. Watching the precise edges of objects disappear before my eyes as the water and pigment travel through capillary action across the paper. So I learn to accept, and adapt. One way I’ve tried to adapt is to provide a set framework for some of my colors with ink lines. In this piece, the foreground objects are getting a bold, brushed line in black matte ink
And on the acceptance side of the curve, I’m trying to learn to embrace the imprecise nature of watercolor wash. I’m learning to appreciate that I don’t always control where the color goes and how it settles before it dries. Like in the walls of the witch’s cottage. They’re supposed to sit back and provide a warm background to the scene without drawing your eye. That’s the perfect place to brush in a mottled wash of varying color.
There’s a middle ground between those two, though. And it’s in my effort to learn to control my brush more. To put down color sparingly, and carefully. And to use finer brushes to lay in a watercolor outline that, while softer and not as bold as my inks, will still provide structure and clarity to objects like this bucket.
Overall, I’m happy with this week’s watercolor experiment. I think the story is clear, and that’s always my first priority with an illustration. The aesthetics — how the lines and color look on the page — are next on my list. And I think, in this case, it didn’t turn out too bad.
I think the witch and her two friends look like they inhabit a warm and inviting little cottage, and I’m glad I could use watercolor and ink to bring them to life and work on my skills. It’s a constant struggle, but it’s fun. And as long as it doesn’t break me, it’s bound to help me improve. If you want to see us create this illustration from start to finish, you can watch this week’s Long Lost Friend Studio video, and hear Michelle and I talk about color theory and witchcraft.