The background was the most nerve wracking part of this painting. Not sure why I saved the black background for last, although I know some watercolor artists do just that. I usually do the background first, and now remember why! Using paper, black artist tape, and resist, I protected the painted sections as well I could.

I mixed a base of green and purple. Green by the pink Peonies and purple near the orange colored areas. Complimentary colors always help provide contrast.

Three coats of black and I had a beautifully smooth wash with hints of the base colors peaking through. My typical mix to create black is a blend of Indigo and Sepia paint. Painting in different directions with a large brush is also helpful.

I removed all my masking and spend the next two and a half hours touching up the edges! This is the point I wished I had done the background first!

I went back into every part of the painting, tweaking the colors and adding washes to strength the colors. Here is the final painting, entitled Bubble Glass, transparent watercolor, 19″ x 24″.