Good morning!

I’m up bright and early, after finally moving into our new place. The view is just amazing! And today, I realized that this is the first full sunrise I’ve seen since I moved to the UAE a year ago.

Yesterday, I decided to work on some watercolor illustrations for a new series. Introducing, my original “Oud” paintings, inspired by the signature Emirati fragrances. Perfume here is kind of a big deal, and the traditional bottles are so cute.

These paintings are done on 9×12 heavy watercolor paper:

• First, I started out with a rough sketch of the shape.
• I then loosely applied the main color for the bottle using fluid watercolor washes.
• I then mixed Yellow Ochre and Yellow to achieve the golden top and and second wash.
• Finally, I applied the embellished designs of the perfume bottle using gold acrylic paint and outlined the final shape in black for contrast.

They are very fun to paint, and the color options and combinations are endless. I’m very pleased with how they turned out. The bottles feel so glamorous and instantly take me back to the little perfume souks I’ve visited here in Abu Dhabi.

Thanks for viewing!

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