Painting Loose Misty Roses with an Experimental Approach

Shaking Things Up: Why I Painted This Completely Differently

Hi there, fellow artists! I'm Valerie, and I have to confess - this painting challenged everything I thought I knew about my own process. After creating so many detailed flowers for my watercolor course, I felt this overwhelming urge to completely shake things up. You know that feeling when you've been doing something the same way for so long that your hands could paint it in your sleep? That's exactly where I was.

So I decided to go completely rogue with this one.

The Magic of Value Simplification

Instead of getting lost in all those gorgeous petal details and leaf intricacies that usually captivate me, I did something radical. I took my reference photo and converted it to simple values - just blocks of black, light gray, medium gray, and white. That's it. No delicate petal folds, no intricate leaf patterns, just pure, simplified shapes.

This approach was like giving my perfectionist brain permission to just... let go. And honestly? It was liberating.

Embracing the Wet-on-Wet Adventure

Here's where things get really different from my usual approach. I thoroughly soaked both sides of my Arches Cold Press 140lb paper - front AND back. This meant every single brushstroke I made would immediately start diffusing and blending on its own. No careful blending required from me; the paper was doing all the work!

The result? Pure magic. But also pure unpredictability - which was exactly what I needed.

Why I Chose Flat Brushes (And Why You Should Try Them Too)

Now, anyone who's watched my videos knows I'm a round brush girl through and through. But for this experimental piece, I grabbed my ¾ inch flat brush by Mimik and never looked back. There's something about using a flat brush that makes me think differently - it's less about painting shapes and more about carving them out.

I also pulled out this beat-up Arteza angled brush that's seen better days. Sometimes the most imperfect tools give you the most perfect results!

The Color Story: Rockwell Art Paints and Happy Accidents

I'll be honest - I can't even remember all the exact color names I used! I just grabbed what looked pretty from my Rockwell Art palette. I know I used their "Peach Fairy" pink and later mixed it with "Landmark" (a gorgeous brown with red undertones), plus their sparkly "Lover's Tears" purple.

What I love about these paints is their granulating quality. On that wet surface, they split and separate in the most beautiful ways, creating colors and textures I never could have planned.

The 20-Minute Challenge: Working Fast and Loose

This entire painting happened in under 20 minutes - though I did speed up the video to 150% because, let's be real, I'm not actually that fast! The wet paper gave me this wonderful buffer where I could have taken my time, but there's something about working quickly that keeps that perfectionist voice quiet.

Finding Beauty in the Unpredictable

Here's what I learned: when your paper is wet front and back, shapes have a mind of their own. I'd put down a gorgeous dark value, wait a few minutes, and watch it wash itself away as the paint diffused. Instead of fighting it, I embraced it. I'd just go back in and add more pigment when needed.

The roses started pushing upward as they dried, creating this dreamy, floating effect I never could have achieved with my usual controlled approach.

The Final Touch: Knowing When to Stop

The hardest part wasn't the technique - it was knowing when to stop. I added just the lightest touch of that green-blue to define one edge of the roses, giving them shape without losing that magical, misty quality. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do as an artist is resist the urge to keep adding.

Why This Matters: Lessons in Letting Go

This painting taught me something profound about perfectionism and control. By simplifying my reference to basic values and letting the water do most of the work, I created something that feels like waking up from a dream - that moment when you're trying to hold onto something beautiful that's already starting to fade.

Your Turn to Experiment

I challenge you to try something that scares you a little. Grab a brush you never use, work on soaking wet paper, or simplify your reference to just basic values. Sometimes the most beautiful art happens when we stop trying so hard to control everything.

Until next time, keep painting and keep experimenting!