Headphones and Ant Trap

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7 x 10 in  -  18 x 25 cm.     This one was done using black watercolour paint. If you look back a just couple of days to the 'Knife and Sharpener' you can see that it uses a mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Brunt Sienna (a strong reddy brown) to make the black.

Black paint, as a watercolour, is frowned upon by some 'purist'. To them back paint, as used here, is "bad", where as mixing your own black as in 'Knife and Sharpener' is "good".

What those 'purists', they aren't purists but that's another story, have done is to turn the very sound advice to beginners of - "Don't use back to darken other watercolours" into the nonsense of - "no watercolourist should ever use black".

What the painter saw.

Banana skin and half an Apple

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5 x 7 in  -  13 x 18 cm.     This one has not quite come off. The banana peel just does not have the correct feel to its shape, too many important subtle tones are missing. But you can't win them all.

My usual after paiting attempt to photograph what I was seeing.

Brush and old Pen

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4 x 8 in  -  10 x 20 cm.     Another quick line drawing. It always surprises me how effective the result can be for such a comparatively small effort when working in this line and wash style (and this is not a good example).

I used an old 'Rotring' pen for this one it, was harder than expected to control the direction. I will have to stick to fibre tips in future.

This is roughly what I was seeing.

Knife and Sharpener

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6 x 10 in  -  15 x 27 cm.     This looked way off while it was being pained. I went for a dark wash for the paper so I could make a feature of the reflection of the light down from the knife, but when it was being placed it looked way too dark. Well, it still is too dark.

I lost it a bit on the shape of the sharpener but over all the shapes work and it does read as a knife with reflections. But I also made the blade a bit over dark. It looks as if it was in shadow, which it can't be if it is also reflecting the light on to the paper.

Here is what I was seeing.

Food Blender

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7 x 10 in  -  18 x 25 cm.     A quick sketch, if you count half an hour as quick. I need to be more thoughtful as to what is going on when I draw. The pen I used is a bit dry 1 mm marker and you have to press hard. I wonder if a wetter pen would produce smoother results or is having to press hard making a more definite statement?

This is roughly what I was seeing while I painted.

Folded Towels

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6 x 7 in  -  15 x 18 cm.     This was the first sketck of the day before I did the food blender above. I must confess to getting lucky, all of the speckled texture in the mauve towel is from the watercolour paper. I knew I would get come texture but this was way better than expected.

Here is my photo of what I was seeing.

Malamute Hoonah

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14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm.    


Painted in just over 2 hours, the challenge was to do it in no more than 2 hours. I am pleased with how it looks but I should have been braver and gone in with stronger dark colours from the start. It's just hard to go in hard with what appears at the time to be something that is way too dark.

Mirror Self and Phonebooks

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10 x 7 in  -  25 x 18 cm.    

Another attempt at a quick small painting or sketch. Drawn and painted from life it took me 1 hour 15, pencil up to brush down.

Below is my attempt to photograph what I was seeing.

Wasabi Tin and Spoon

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6 x 10 in  -  15 x 25 cm.     I think this one goes in the "it works" column but a few things could have been better thought out. What do you think?

Here is a photo of 'something like' the view I had while painting.

Transparent Pencil Case

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6 x 8 in  -  15 x 20 cm.     A quick sketch to start off the new month. Painted rapidly with only a rough pencil outline first. I can see from looking at the, after sketch, photo of the scene that I forgot the blob of blue tack which I use as an eraser. That will teach me to try to be too quick.

Youngster

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14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm.    


This was done using the ultra traditional watercolour technique of multiple washes. This always take a while with lots of pauses to let the work dry before adding the next layer. The problem is that each wash is an opportunity to make a mistake.

I think I much prefer the faster "one touch" approach in which you attempt to get it right first time. OK, sometimes you know you will have to come back and restate an area but it the "one touch" approach you try to avoid such things as you plan out the painting.

Cartman Bean and Caffe

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10 x 7 in  -  25 x 18 cm.    


Just a bit of fun. This is my first ever attempt at "Line and Wash". You draw the line with a waterproof pen and later add a wash. I will have to learn to be a lot more accurate with my "line".

New Red Car

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6 x 9 in  -  15 x 23 cm.     Another Challenge painting this time of someone's brand new car. Trouble is I have made it look a bit beaten up. This was fine for my series of Cuban Cars but not quite the most appropriate effect for a brand new sports racer.

John Yardley copy - Two Vaporettos

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10 x 14 in  -  25 x 36 cm.     This is as the title says is a copy of a John Yardley painting. John is an influential UK painter whose distinctive watercolor style is admired by many. While my copy lacks such a lot it does have something of the masters inspiration. Below is a photo I took of the original, taken of course, with the artist permission.

If you don't see the weaknesses straight away look at the front of the smaller vaparetto. It really does not hang together, Click the main image to see the larger version of the copy.

John Yardley's original

Shoe Horn, Phone and Tape Measure

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9 x 7 in  -  22 x 18 cm.    

Second attempt today at the sketching challenge. Not as good as the previous painting. I have let this turn from a 'sketch' into a 'study' and I am not sure that the work has benefited.