Today was a teaching day, back in watercolours. After working in fairly limited palette acrylics on a large scale I needed to think myself back into watercolours.
I am using this as a test of a composition for a bigger work in oils, inspired by our trip up behind Monte Cassino. I think that it could be finished in another couple of days, probably another three or four sessions, but as the acrylics are most urgent this might have to go on hold for a while.
Cockled paper from watery sky, no time to stretch the paper today. It flattens out when dry.
The dark in the centre is still wet in this photo, it dries much lighter.
Establishing the darks, and now it is time to take a break from this and let it dry completely.
Today I am grateful for good light.
PS: After dinner... I decided to go back to my second figure choice. I began with a young girl contemplating where her grandfather might have died in the hills around Cassino. Then I decided to go back a generation, and make it her mother. I changed the jeans to a skirt. Then I loosened her hair and made her young again. Now, after looking at it after a break, it is hair up again and back to the older woman, but in the oil painting it will be the modern girl.
If you use colours that lift reasonably well you can remove enough paint to rework a section. I was lucky that the background behind the figure is vague enough for the exact colour not to matter.
The colour in this photograph is not accurate, it was photographed under a lamp.
Close up:
Painter's note: when lifting colour off wait until the paper has dried completely, wet, rub gently (or harshly, depends on your paper and your nerve) and blot off the paint. Then wait until dry to work on that part again.
It's time to stop for the night. I need it to dry thoroughly so I can work on details tomorrow or over the next few days.
I am using this as a test of a composition for a bigger work in oils, inspired by our trip up behind Monte Cassino. I think that it could be finished in another couple of days, probably another three or four sessions, but as the acrylics are most urgent this might have to go on hold for a while.
Cockled paper from watery sky, no time to stretch the paper today. It flattens out when dry.
 |
 |
 |
Today I am grateful for good light.
PS: After dinner... I decided to go back to my second figure choice. I began with a young girl contemplating where her grandfather might have died in the hills around Cassino. Then I decided to go back a generation, and make it her mother. I changed the jeans to a skirt. Then I loosened her hair and made her young again. Now, after looking at it after a break, it is hair up again and back to the older woman, but in the oil painting it will be the modern girl.
If you use colours that lift reasonably well you can remove enough paint to rework a section. I was lucky that the background behind the figure is vague enough for the exact colour not to matter.
The colour in this photograph is not accurate, it was photographed under a lamp.
Close up:
It's time to stop for the night. I need it to dry thoroughly so I can work on details tomorrow or over the next few days.
1 comment:
Opening this post on ANZAC Day seemed to be so right with contemplation being part of this day's purpose.
Post a Comment