On Dec 19, 2023, I finished my 100 day project – so here are some 100 day project reflections including lessons learned, my favorite pages, and what’s next in store!
100 day project reflections – LESSONS LEARNED
1. I am a prepared improviser
This sounds counterintuitive, but this is really what I learned about myself. I do like structure, I do value context. But at the same time, I enjoy being free within those boundaries. So I don’t mind painting in a sketch, but I also don’t mind painting loosely.
What I had trouble with, though, was that I couldn’t just show up to a livestream without a plan. I didn’t want to “waste” people’s time trying to figure out what to paint. And I didn’t want to pressure myself to come up with something grand on the spot. So I had to designate topics or subjects ahead of time. And I was way happier showing up for the livestreams. Without it, I was riddled with anxiety.
2. Mixed media is so much fun!
So far, I’ve really only used watercolor pencils and crayons, but I really enjoyed the process.
And then starting on Day 29, I started using gouache and sometimes ink. I enjoyed the challenge of painting with a slightly different medium and realized quickly that I want to dive deeper into it and paint with it more. So I finished the rest of the 100 day project with just gouache.
3. Community is so important
Going live on YouTube is no easy task. But there were several people who showed up very consistently to root for me and keep me going. It was like we were in the same room painting, creating, and having fun. Even if it’s not a virtual community, the act of creating should be done in a safe community. I think we are the hardest on ourselves and sometimes we need others to pull our heads out of the sand or to propel us to move. Lean into your community. Or take the time to join a local art association. Invest in them, and you’ll see your art grow.
4. Persevere through the “ugly” phases
This was by far the most important lesson because you don’t see the results until you’ve finished a sketchbook or until you’ve moved so far ahead that you’re able to look back.
My “ugly” phases were definitely at the beginning of the first sketchbook. I was trying to emulate other people’s styles. I was trying to reinvent how I painted florals. And… it just wasn’t me. Combine that with the fact that I showed up to the livestreams unprepared, and I was not enjoying it. I realized that I just needed to do things in my own way and not get influenced by what other people are doing.
So I have several pages at the beginning where they’re not my favorites, but I can appreciate them because it brought me to gouache and a new way of painting that I am overjoyed about.
100 day project reflections – FAVORITE PAGES
1. Alliums
Florals will always be one of my favorites and this spread is probably the epitome of my style. I love the looseness of it because I didn’t have to sketch ahead of time. Instead, I let the paint do its thing and went with the flow.
2. Harry Potter
I am a total Potterhead and painting these were so much fun. I felt like I had the creative liberty to paint the potions how I felt, and even the feathers were all from my imagination. The wands do belong to certain characters, but I made my own decisions on which details to leave in and out.
3. Gouache florals
Figuring out how to paint florals in a new way with gouache was truly a challenge. This one is one of my favorites from the gouache floral series because I experimented with a very dark background and then adding light colors on top which is basically the opposite of painting with watercolors. I remember trying to incorporate my watercolor brushstroke techniques and keeping them loose. Overall, I was very pleased with how it turned out, and how well Holbein gouache holds up to layering.
4. Gouache fruit/veggies
Can you believe that I painted 51 fruits and veggies in gouache? I still can’t! I didn’t even know that there were that many varieties out there! Given that fact, it was really hard to choose just one of my favorites from this series. But the bananas is definitely in the top because of its playful pattern. And that two-toned banana leaf! Fave.
5. Gouache cacti/succulent
The last part of the 100 day project featured cacti and succulents. And this blue myrtle cactus was one of my favorites because I finally figured out how to merge my love of watercolor and gouache. You can see how the blue and green colors are spontaneously mixed. There’s some bleed and blending going on. But I also used gouache in the “traditional” sense of making the background very flat and matte, and using white gouache for details. This painting gave me a lot of confidence in how to move forward with merging and honoring both paint mediums.
WHAT’S NEXT
I’m still putting together my thoughts and plans for 2024, but for now I know a few things:
- I plan on going live once a week to the best of my ability
- I want to explore gouache even more with colored pencils
- I want to plan to do short-term projects either live or on my own
There are a lot of other goals I want to accomplish in 2024, but I think this is a good start. 🙂
Thank you again for being part of my creative journey! Watch all the livestream replays here.
Buy me a coffee if you enjoyed this post!
