I didn’t get this one finished until this morning, but it was just a matter of peeling off the plastic wrap I’d applied.

(Supplies: Strathmore 500 series 140 lb cold press paper, EEM burnt Sienna and Mais, Daniel Smith indigo, QoR phthalo blue, sap green, nickel ago yellow, and transparent pyrrole orange, and Grumbacher Miskit. [This masking fluid says it washes out of brushes and pens with soap and water, but I haven’t tried to do that.] Also, plastic wrap)

The direct watercolor challenge is to do 30 paintings in 30 days, without drawing it out in pencil first. For this one I applied masking fluid first. I dipped a very cheap brush first into dish soap, then removed the excess and dipped it into the masking fluid. The soap helps protect the bristles:

I made the white bands too wide, turns out… but it’s all good.

Then I painted it, in several layers, (and forgot to take step by step photos), and applied some bits of plastic wrap while it dried, to add a little texture:

He looks much more realistic peeking out from the plastic wrap than he does on the page once it is removed. I should leave that as part of the “art”. 🙂