HAH!!! Another Process ... Rhododendron

My drawing with scribbled notes about how to handle the background [not that I listened!]

After masking the pistils and stamens, I started with very thin washes of aureolin for the leaves and some cool pink for the petals.

Some very thin and loose washes over the background using quin. gold and indanthrone.

Painted the leaves with mixtures of the gold and blue.

Again did the background wet-in-wet, to tone down the look of the leaves - they seemed to be overpowering the painting.

I still didn't like the background, so went over all with a thin wash of indanthrone.

Not liking the blue in the flower shadows, so I will glaze over with some fuschia.

I am here now, and not sure what more I need to do ... something is needed. I will play with the form shadows in the petals with some quin. fuschia, and probably give the leaves a bit more depth.

Thank you for visiting!!