Using Multiple References

with Joan Hansen

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PROJECTS I’ve undertaken was to paint a series of watercolors for a medical office complex. I had a great time choosing a theme that had just the right ambiance, researching the subject for reference materials, and coordinating my color palette with the color scheme of the complex. The Koi Water Garden on the following page was the pièce de résistance!

Building an Artist’s morgue

The greatest assistance for the commissioned paintings came from my artist’s morgue—a term that refers to a collection of photos, drawings, or other sources of inspiration. I was able to find several reference photographs that helped my research tremendously. In fact, I highly recommend that you do a ...

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