So I tried the painting again! Started with a sketch:
I’m really proud of this sketch, actually. I don’t usually sketch realistic objects or scenes, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to do a good enough job. But I did! Hooray for me!
Once the sketch was done, I decided to work on the background first, instead of last (like last time). And I used Derwent Inktense watercolor pans so that each layer would stay fixed, and hopefully not get muddy looking. Once I got the background in, I worked on the leaves. I switched to Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay inks, and did multiple layers of greens.
background stage one: blues 
background stage two: adding greens and browns 
time for leaves! blue highlights then grass green 
now deeper green shadows…
After adding some frisket to protect certain parts of the flower, I started working on the reds in the blossom. I never realized how complex the red in a pomegranate are!
Finally the finish line was in sight! I’d started working on deepening the colors in the pod part of the flower when disaster struck! I knocked over a bottle of ink and it spread all over my desk…even worse, it splashed onto my painting:
I am not ashamed to say that there was wailing involved. It was so shocking and distressing I could barely think of how to react to save it and the other art in the notebook. Luckily this painting was the only one that had any substantial damage, but even so, it took about three days for me to be able to work on it again and finish up some last details:
All things considered, I think I did a pretty good job. I’m thankful that the spill happened in such a way that it only barely touched the flower itself, and so it sort of looks like a weird branch.
What do you think? Have you had art disasters happen to you, and were you able to recover, or work the mistake into the image so that it didn’t stick out so much?
