WALKTHROUGH: Fly On
EDITING ARIA FROM 2025: I apologize for how small the images in this walkthrough are. When it was first created on my old Patreon, you could right-click to view them larger but that was no longer the case when I retrieved them for this re-upload. I hope it’s still helpful for some despite the issue! <3
Hello Moonbeams,
Here is a quick process overview of a completed piece from my upcoming Voices of Neon collection!
Surface: 300LB cold press watercolor paper with 1 coat of Daniel Smith Titanium white watercolor ground and 1 topcoat of QoR watercolor ground.
Brushes: Pentel Aquash Waterbrush size small, Hwahong flat brushes in various sizes, Hwahong round brush size 1 and 2, Princeton Velvetouch round brush size 20/0 (my detail brush of choice) and Princeton Velvetouch size 0
Paint: My Shadow Shade mixture of Daniel Smith Prussian Blue, Daniel Smith Burgundy Yellow Ochre, Daniel Smith Carbazole violet, as well as bright yellow (unknown brand), Daniel Smith Carmine, Daniel Smith Manganese Blue and Daniel Smith Phthalo Green. I also used Koi white watercolor for any small white highlights.
I began by preparing some 300LB cold press watercolor paper with one coat of Titanium white Daniel Smith watercolor ground and 1 coat of QoR watercolor ground.
The paper itself was not that important aside from the fact that I prefer working on super thick weights, on the rare occasions I use paper, to prevent buckling.
I then began putting down washes of Manganese blue, and Phthalo Green with a bit of my Shadow shade around the edges of the oval. I used salt while the paint was wet to create the textures you see.
For many of the pieces in this series, I do the antlers last. This is because I usually prefer to have the environment around them finished so that I know what colours will be best. The antlers have a bright, glowing feeling and because my surfaces lift paint so easily, I am at risk of accidentally brushing the surface with my hand, and slightly smearing it over the antlers, making them look less vibrant.
In the case of this painting, I decided to do the antlers first. Referencing my original sketch, I used my waterbrush to lift away paint in the shape of the antlers. After that, I used Daniel Smith watercolor ground to bright them and let it dry. Once dry, I added some bright yellow, and a bit of a bright yellow/carmine mixture to give them their warm glow. I then lifted a few more highlights into them.
For the glowing antlers, I want to be sure that they had really soft edges. The softness gives a more realistic glowing feel. I also took a barely damp size 1 round brush and painted a highly saturated coat of bright yellow paint into the background directly surrounding the antlers. Watercolor is transparent but using it in such a highly pigmented form as I did, with so little water, allowed me to create a soft hint of glowing colour around the antlers.
I began to add more interest to he background by adding branches and suggesting foliage by adding brush yellow and my yellow/carmine mixture.
I also used a round brush to lift away highlights that suggested more distant branches and foliage.
For the stag, I added layers of my Shadow shade and slowly build up definition for muscles and form.
Once I had the majority of the stag's definition build up, I used my size use, and 20/0 brushes to add fur details, small wrinkles and any little finishing details. I also use white watercolor/gouache to create some highlights.
I lifted the little moth out of the background used a dull size one brush and painted around the edges of it to help further bring it out of the background.
I did not manage to get shots of how I painted the words "Fly On" (I think I just totally zoned out at that point!) but it was the same technique as I used for the antlers.
This is the finished piece! I will be framing him in an antique Italian frame as part of an upcoming collection release on my website coming out on September 1st. I will have a lot more process of pieces in this series to show you over the next couple of months I am sure! ♡
