The paper is quite big, so I made a quick drawing putting everything where I want it to go on the picture plane.

First I wet the area I’m going to work on. Then I lay in the color very lightly; so lightly maybe I can only see it. I do this because if something is out of place, I can move it.

When making a watercolor, I always try to paint all over the paper in different areas before retouching already painted areas. This gives harmony.

A fruit bowl on a white tablecloth

I started in with the background because the background influences the foreground. They must all be worked on with the same amount of care and time for harmony.

Yesterday I didn’t think about putting in a vase, but this morning I thought it would help the composition and it did.

Here I felt that I knew where everything belonged on the picture plane, so I went straight for the color and value. I try to do this quickly and exactly to keep it loose and fresh.

Here I started putting in details, and contrasting colors, re-analyzing the shapes. But always working around the paper.

Today it was cloudy. The sun came out, went away, came out, went away. So I painted the shadow as fast as possible to catch it. I’m still not finished, so let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Yesterday, I covered an important light accidentally, so today I brushed water into the area and pulled out the light with a cotton cloth. This is not recommendable because the paper suffers. Lights should always be respected.

It’s hard to tell, but as I was working around the paper yesterday and the day before, I was lightly laying in the pattern on the table-cloth. Today I emphasized.