Watercolor painting of G1 angel

[Wild Raspberry]

Hi everyone.  First of all, thanks for stopping to look.  This is the first watercolor of a pony I have ever done, while I have done other watercolors I haven't attempted wanting with much detail.  Let me know what you think, helpful criticism is much appreciated.


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And here are the photos she was based off of: (these are not mine, they are from the internet.)

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I wish I could have made her hair more wispy and "fun" looking like in the second photo, but I am terrible at pony hair.....any tips would nd gladly appreciated.

Thanks again for looking.

WR

[ponycake]

She's very pretty. Her eyes are beautiful.

[achab1984]

That is very cute!

[Sochy]

So cute! For a pony like Angel, the watercolor technique go pretty good whit her! Nice work for a first time! o.o

[wlyteth]

I love the face, you really captured the angles of the plastic

As for tips, I don't do watercolors but with other paints if I want something to look wispy or curly I do thin long strokes a little at a time. A good way to practice is just to fill a page up doing that, making different loops and curls and squiggles. That way you don't mess up a almost finished picture. Hope it helps, and maybe some watercolor users can give you more specific help.

[MsMedley]

That's lovely! Nice color choices   I also like the border you put in the pic.

Watercolor is a tough medium because of the difficulty in correcting any mistakes made.  Do you go right to painting or do you do a sketch first then fill it in with paint? I'll usually make a light pencil sketch on the paper with a soft lead pencil, then lighten it as much as I can with a putty eraser.  It helps me minimize mistakes.  I've also seen someone do a pencil sketch, transfer it to a piece of tracing paper, then transfer THAT to a sheet of watercolor paper, giving you an even light outline to work in! Time consuming but effective!

Keep up the great work

[Wild Raspberry]

That's lovely! Nice color choices   I also like the border you put in the pic.

Watercolor is a tough medium because of the difficulty in correcting any mistakes made.  Do you go right to painting or do you do a sketch first then fill it in with paint? I'll usually make a light pencil sketch on the paper with a soft lead pencil, then lighten it as much as I can with a putty eraser.  It helps me minimize mistakes.  I've also seen someone do a pencil sketch, transfer it to a piece of tracing paper, then transfer THAT to a sheet of watercolor paper, giving you an even light outline to work in! Time consuming but effective!

Keep up the great work

Thanks, I've never tried  doing a pencil sketch so I might try that next time.

[Griffin]

A pencil sketch helps a lot, I would totally recommed that especially if you're aiming for natural-looking anatomy or a realistic representation of the toy version. And even if you aren't. Most watercolour artists I know start with an initial sketch. Some do detailed lineart and colour them in, others only lightly sketch the basic shapes, like for a landscape, for example. Of course it is possible to paint without a sketch too - most people would consider that pretty difficult, I think. Considering that, you did a marvellous job!

Watercolour is my favourite medium but I'm not much of an expert when it comes to technique... The basic thing is to start with light colours - a light wash with plenty of water and only a dab of paint - then build on that. What is difficult about this is, however, that paper (even good quality paper) will only take so many layers before the surface gets damaged. I don't see that problem in your painting though, this is only a general reminder...

I would like to see some more definition in her hair - you could try adding a couple of thin strokes with lots of pigment like you did with her eyes, then quickly go over those with a larger brush dipped in water to soften and blend them in. Other than that, I can't think of anything specific - you're on the right track! Her eyes and symbols look great and I like the shading on her legs, the front one especially. The sharp edge of the dried paint gives the leg some nice form and definition. A perfect example of the charm in watercolours!

[PrincessStarlily]

She's darling! I seriously love pony watercolor paintings...

I agree with what pretty much everyone else has been saying; especially what Griffin said about adding definition to her hair. Also, if you want the painting's proportions to look like the toy, you can hold out a pencil to measure and compare distances.

You did a great job with control in the details and the shadow on her legs! Keep practicing, and I'm sure you'll go far.

[hathorcat]

So pretty Her symbol is perfect - she looks lovely.