I’m trying to learn to paint realistic watercolor. It’s a new medium for me. I have painted with acrylics and oils before. With those, it seems easier because you just paint what you see. If I see green, I paint with green paint. If I see black, I use black. And if I see white, I paint with white paint. If I need a lighter green, I mix it with some white paint.

With watercolor that’s not how it works. The paints are translucent so the colors are always blending with the white paper to some extent. Sure, if I see green, I use green paint, but I may need several layers to achieve the deep shade of green needed. If I see black, again I work my way up to get that deep, dark inkiness. With white, things are even harder. I don’t use white paint, I use the paper and a lack of paint to achieve bright highlights and white things. When I need a lighter shade of green, I simply use less green paint by diluting it with water.

This has been a real challenge for me to learn. I have to recognize the highlights and lightest parts of the image before I start and avoid those areas. To avoid them, I’ve learned to paint a very light wash everywhere except in those white areas. Then gradually build up the areas around those highlights that are darker.

The trick is in knowing how dark those mid-tones need to be to get the realistic look. I was taught a secret. After defining the highlights, if I switch to the very darkest areas, the ones that are black or nearly so, I will easily see how light or dark everything in between will need to be.

The painting looks very disjointed at this stage. I can really only see the dark shadows and stark crevices while the rest of the painting is a faint suggestion of something real.

Life is sort of this way. When I look around, it’s so easy to see the darkness and pain. Grief and loss is abundant and unavoidable. It’s really hard to see a bigger, better picture.

But the Bible promises us a beautiful big picture to come.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” (Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬, ‭HCSB)‬‬

Because of Jesus, one day His followers will see all the beauty that is now just a faint suggestion. Our sorrow and pain will be turned into inexpressible joy as we fully experience all that our loving and generous God has promised. Heaven and eternity with Him. A new world filled with beauty, purpose, truth, and love.

I have so much satisfaction when finishing a painting. I have painted enough by now to know that the awkward stage where everything looks wrong and bad will one day come to an end, and I will have a beautiful painting to enjoy.

Dear God, thank you for the metaphor of my paintings. It is so uncomfortable to be partially done, to look around and see nothing but ugliness and failure. Teach me to hope in the world the way I have learned to hope in my paintings — to focus on and keep working for the end product. Your new creation will be so much more wonderful! I can’t even begin to imagine it.