Talking Color

1.This is the picture I observed when I was visiting the kew garden in London. Cactus attracted me. I first painted black color powder as the background, and then I painted yellow color powder. After that, I began to paint the blue cactus with watercolor, and also used watercolor to express the stone next to the cactus in different ways. Finally, I drew the thorns of the cactus with an acrylic marker.

2. This is the fresh mango I bought at home to paint. I used an oil painting stick to draw mangoes and draw the plastic net of the mango with a blue oil painting stick. After that, I continued to paint with a gray oil painting stick as the background.

3. This is the use of other media for my mango painting. I drew mangos with colored lead, and I drew the plastic net with a green line pen. I used the collage of the Bolough market in the last course in this work. After that, I also used the fruit packaging label of morrisons on it. I extended these plastic nets with acrylic markers, and I pasted the plastic net wrapped in around mangoes.

4. This is a quick observational painting around my kitchen sink. This is the first time I try to draw with my left hand. I find that this will make my lines more relaxed. I used simple color powder to color this work. Although the whole picture looks very simple, the painting process gave me a new attempt.

5. This is my work of observing a flower and catch its texture and drawing it with color powder and oil painting stick.

7. This is the work drawn by Echinopsis peruviana and San Pedro cactus in the kew garden. I dipped a small amount of water in water to brush out the texture of the two plants with a dry brush. After that, I also colored it with some colored pencils. I also emphasized the bark of Echinopsis peruviana with black and brown powder. Then I drew their spikes with a black line brush, and then I used blue powder as the background.

8. This is also the scene I observed at Sherborne Wharf Ltd in Birmingham. I used oil painting sticks to paint the whole work, just like the other similar paintings. Because the weather was very good at that time, I used bright colors to paint.

9.This is the scene I encountered when I was sitting in a restaurant for lunch. Six pigeons stood on the wall in a row. I used a variety of colored pencils to draw these pigeons. I continued to try to complete the rest of the drawing with my left hand. I colored the tile part of the wall with colored powder, and I painted the steps under the lamppost with watercolor. I also quickly painted the back building and the bridge with oil painting sticks and colored pencils. I drew the fence of the bridge with a white acrylic marker.

10.This is the denseness of the trees I observed. I first apply light green powder evenly as the background, and then use yellow, dark green and blue-green to express the density of the trees in a ball-like way. After that, I painted the branches in black, and I also emphasized these branches with gray watercolors and pencils. Finally, I drew some leaves with an oil painting stick, and I also drew some curves with colored pencils to express the drooping of the tree.

11.This is an observational painting. I drew the peaches in the bowl at home. I drew them with colored pencils, watercolors and acrylic markers.

My reflection

In this “Talking Colors” task, my initial inspiration came from observing objects at home. I started by drawing mangoes, peaches, and even the sink. However, after finishing those, I decided to go out and explore more. I visited Kew Gardens, a place I have been to twice before. This botanical garden is full of plants I had never known, which not only allowed me to paint but also improved my understanding and interest in nature. I drew fairy balls, cacti, and some rare cactus trees there.

During this project, I also travelled to Birmingham and visited small town surrounded by a river. It was sunny, and I felt relaxed while continuing my drawings. I captured many beautiful scenes with my eyes and camera, including a moment when six pigeons stood in a row, which I drew in my sketchbook.

I used several new media, such as color powder, which I had rarely tried before. I also used with watercolor, color pencils, oil pastels, and acrylic markers. Although sometimes I felt unsure about my drawings, I realized that painting is not about the  right or wrong. It is a process of exploration and soothing. Through this task, I not only learned techniques but also discovered stronger curiosity toward everything around me.

Finally, I think this task brought me a lot of meaningful moments. I enjoy the process of this task, although I was a little self-doubt in the process. This task helped me learn to use color to record my life.