The 500 Paintings Challenge | Harmony Thoughts

30: Hello Panda

by Elisa Choi Ang on May 15, 2014 with No Comments

Who doesn’t like pandas? I think they are the fluffiest and cutest creature on earth! I can still remember when we visited the Giant Panda Pavillion at Macau last March. We just literally stared at the glass pane and watched the panda munched on several bamboo sticks for a long time. We didn’t get bored at all. I use the Paint My Photo for a non copyright photo of a panda for my painting reference. I’m sharing simple steps below on how to paint panda in … Read More

27: Warmth

by Elisa Choi Ang on May 5, 2014 with No Comments

Elephants are one of my favorite animals. They are huge and may seem quite intimidating but they exude warmth and calm. I think I have never painted animals before and so May will be a theme of just painting them. I might reference from some non copyright photos at Paint My Photo since I don’t photograph animals much. In this painting, I used a variety of earthy colors. I started with yellow ochre for the lighter areas then quickly added burnt sienna … Read More

22: Half Squash

by Elisa Choi Ang on April 7, 2014 with No Comments

I felt the need to paint the squash that I’ve photographed a few days ago. Last month’s theme was still life but I wasn’t satisfied with the few objects that I’ve managed to paint. Hopefully this April I will be able to set up more things and learn by doing. I realized that when I begin to understand how everything I see are colors in disguise, identifying the hue, value and intensity of colors become second nature. I can never … Read More

14: Hello Ginger

by Elisa Choi Ang on March 11, 2014 with No Comments

March might be a month of painting still life for me. While I was pondering on what to paint next I suddenly thought of ginger. Half of me says it’s not fun to paint this since it’s not that pretty. But another part of me says to explore different subjects and learn from it. I set a simple still life of the ginger on a tissue paper. This painting is all about layering colors. I didn’t wait for the colors … Read More

11: Rare Bloom

by Elisa Choi Ang on February 27, 2014 with No Comments

Painting almost daily and today at number 11. I post on blog if I have something (quite long) to say else I post on Facebook page. Today’s painting is called Rare Bloom because it’s true to its name. I was watering our garden on one of the sunny mornings and I noticed a glimpse of pink softness amidst the browns and greens. I don’t know the name of this medium built shiny leaves shrub but the flowers are beautiful. I’ve … Read More

6: Ruby Red

by Elisa Choi Ang on February 19, 2014 with No Comments

The center of the flower is the interest and the excitement. It is where the petals are formed and spread into the vastness. The added thrill is looking at the subject for the first time and then thinking how to paint without even sketching. There is a craving for looseness and freedom in the dancing of the brush. The paint is light at first before adding more and then leaving some. The light, the dark and the complementary. Approaching a … Read More

5: Peruvian Lily

by Elisa Choi Ang on February 18, 2014 with No Comments

Painting without an initial sketch forces me to truly see a subject in its simplest form. It trains my eye to mentally gauge the position of the patterns. It is challenging but I think this act of painting is the most wonderful. What went well– Painting with water plus a little paint (like a wash) creates a subtle look on the petals without the obvious hard edges. The added red splashes on the upper petal was achieved by re-wetting the … Read More

3: Rosy Love

by Elisa Choi Ang on February 15, 2014 with No Comments

I am inspired to paint roses in a fresh and liberating style. UK artist Jean Haines shared a tutorial on how to paint roses in a loose way. She is one of the unique watercolor artist whom I admire. She paints without a preliminary sketch. Her paintings are always filled with life. Her book, the Atmospheric Watercolours encourages the artist to pick up the brush and just paint! I am addicted on painting these roses! Hope you all have a … Read More