Off Day - Watercolor Sketch Failure vs Digital

After working on my Ipad, I wanted to do some work in my journal.  This started out with a pencil sketch which was off a bit on the two right flower buds.  Instead of doing what I normally do by going over the pencil with ink (correcting proportions or lines), erasing pencil, and then adding watercolor, I proceeded to add color first..........BIG Mistake.

Working right to left, as soon as I laid down some color over the graphite, I knew I was in trouble.  The graphite muddied the paint and I tried to over compensate resulting in the two buds being over worked.  Then thought maybe adding the ink lines might help.  Nope!!!  I didn't have those two sketched in correctly and the ink lines magnified that fact.

The two left flower buds I took my kneaded eraser shaping it like a rolling pin and rolled across the pencil lines picking up excess graphite hoping that might work better, and it did.  My state of mind was already "ehhhh" with what I was working on but pushed through it and finished painting.  Then added the ink lines.  I do not care for ink and wash with ink after color because it's too stark looking to my eyes.  If I'm going to work ink and wash, I want the ink lines down first.  I also prefer to "slap" on color to give life to ink sketches as I don't tend to over work my watercolor.

Being totally dissatisfied with how things turned out, I decided to work this again in Procreate.  The results for me were much better.  I love the ability to stroke and blend like one would using oil paint.  

With this digital, I worked differently than I normally do.  Instead of working multiple layers, I only worked on one.  It worked out OK but I prefer stacking layers working each color on its own layer as well as individual components.

My Orchid as of 04/11/21.  It didn't flower last year after being repotted in 2019.  This year it's flowering but flowers are deeper in color and smaller.  I only ended up with four buds with one appearing it may not open.  While the buds were forming, I lost two leaves.

Watercolor Sketch in Journal:

 

Procreate Version:  The color is better with it leaning towards purple.... not as pink as the watercolor version.  I never have liked mixing purple watercolor as it always looks dingy no matter the mix combination I choose to use.  Gouache brush tool was used exclusively for this to include smudging.

The pencil sketch I had worked in the journal was scanned before adding color.  I uploaded that scan to my Ipad and used it as my reference for the digital version.  At the same time, I had the photo on my computer for reference which helped with how off I was on the two right flower buds in my sketch.

As much as I have enjoyed watercolor in the past, I am finding myself feeling really hesitant in wanting to use watercolor anymore.  This is one reason if I want color, I find myself grabbing my Ipad instead.  I am also finding I prefer NOT to mimic ink and wash but instead leaving ink out altogether when painting on my Ipad using Procreate.