Sophie

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14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm.    


Sophie (dA: Lockstock) is the both photographer and model for the reference photo from which I painted this image. Her FREE stock photos can be found at here. I used one from her "Hairpack2" as the ref.

As a painting I am sort of pleased with how this figure has come out but that is the problem :) it sort of kept sliding way from being a figure painting (especially one done in a Charles Reid style). The work became, as much of a portrait as it was a figure. And of course figure work is what I am trying to practice.

Shadow on Corpus Christi - Wokingham

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10 x 14 in  -  25 x 36 cm.     A group of net based artists have been painting their local land marks in a bi-weekly challenge. The plan is that after a year we will have a good record of both our painting style and local area.

Clicking the image will get you a larger version and show another link to get to my reference photo.

Minimum Watercolour paper size?
The other day I saw a beginner say - "I am using paper that is 6 x 8 inches or smaller until I get the hang of using this medium". My reaction was to comment -

To be honest I think you are making it harder for yourself by working small.

The core of a watercolor is the ability to do washes, work wet-in-wet etc. These are hard enough to do on an 'A4' or 'US letter' sized paper, which I would suggest to a beginner, as being a minimum size. (Better still go for 1/4 imperial sheet 15 x 11 in).

Once you have the skills then you can scale down your paper size but it will still be much harder. Of course you can use watercolour paints at almost any size but the smaller you work the more you will end up being like a gouache painter. Which is fine in but in that case why not just use gouache. The issues are all to do with the time the wash can stay damp. The smaller the washed area less time there is to get water colour effects and interesting watercolour effects take time to develop on the paper.

Was I being too dogmatic, any opinions?

Cookie Kitty

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14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm.    

This Xmas I was given a copy of "Charles Reid's Watercolour Secrets" DVD. Unlike the book of the same name the first hour of the DVD is Charles painting the figure so I just had to have a try at a 'Charles Reid' style figure.

Many thanks to Cookie Kitty of "deviantART" who is both model and photographer. You can see the reference photo and access her other stock photos here.

If you have never seen a Charles Reid Watercolor figure painting before this will give you some idea.

I am generally pleased with how this came out. It has no where near the bravery and colour of a real Charles Reid but then I would not expect it to.