Two Landscapes, 4″x5″, Watercolor on Arches 140#

These two paintings are my homework assignment from my watercolor class. The goal was to paint a landscape using tone and value and only three colors. In this case, I used cobalt, viridian, and gamboge on the top/blue one, and cobalt, quin rose, and ultramarine on the bottom/purple one.

The paper makes a tremendous difference. I did a series of practice pieces on 90# Canson, but it felt as if the pigment was sliding off the paper. On the 140# Arches, the pigment gripped the paper better and stayed put.