Figures in Watercolor

Drawing and painting figures are still on my to do list these days.  I enjoy working with pencils but I miss watercolors too. So, I gave myself a break the other day and decided to explore other media to work on the figures.
Here are three figures in watercolor.  I began with a simple pencil outline drawing.  I then started to paint with watercolors working from light to dark.

A closer look indicates the wet-into-wet mixes.  Allowing the different parts to connect, makes the clothing look more natural and fluid. Once those first washes were dry, I added more layers on top in some areas to create the shadow patterns and the folds.

In my toned paper sketchbook, I drew more body shapes and used pen to render the shadows.  The white charcoal pencil is fun to use for highlights.  In the background, I added some light and dark hatches to oppose the tones of the figures (light against dark, dark against light)! 

Painting clothed figures in watercolor is a great way to practice your wet into wet technique; to learn to control the amount of water and to find beautiful color mixes. 

Take your time with your drawing, plan your color scheme and prepare your washes before you start painting.  There are many photos of people online to use as your reference. 

Whatever you are working on, enjoy! :)