Route 33

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

21 x 14 in  -  53 x 36 cm     Watercolor     This is another half sheet and as such the work has gone ok. If there is any appropriate general criticism is it would simply be that the work itself is a little un-interesting - okay, it's a tram but so what?

The reference for this painting was taken in Milan a few days ago. You can see more images from that trip to Milan, Stresa and the Italian lakes by this clicking the link in the right-hand panel marked RogerPf's Photos. Stresa is pronounced Stray-za, but you must say it with an Italian accent.

Addendum
In the comments to this post Deb Townsend has suggested that pumping up the colour of the background building would improve things.

While this would be an improvement it runs the risk of drawing the eye to the strong colour in the building. A More effective solution would be to have painted the upper storey darker so throwing the roof of the tram into prominence.

I make it a rule never to go back and fiddle with actual paintings always better to use the time painting the next one; having first of course, remembered and learnt the lesson of the previous work. However there's nothing to stop me getting out Photoshop and trying out this approach.

Yes that looks better. Now all I have to do is to remind myself to - think harder next time.

Coming Home

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm     Watercolor    

This is another two-hour challenge painting. The reference is good and strong and so it was easy to use it to paint from. Perhaps I should have spent more time defining the feet the forward cow but it is seldom good to fiddle too much and there is always the time limit to think of.

This is the crop I used from the reference.

The Cellist 2

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

21 x 14 in  -  53 x 36 cm     Watercolor    

This must be considered, if not a failure, then a disappointment. A half sheet should have a lot more going for it than this rather lacklustre painting.

The reference is the same as for 'The Cellist 1'.

I had two attempts at painting 7 x 5 colour mockups of the work before I started.

To be honest I think I like both the mockups much better than I do the finished work

Contestant 351 and Friend

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

10 x 14 in  -  25 x 36 cm     Watercolor     This took in exactly 42 minutes from pencil up to brush down. I am very pleased with it.

While it might appear that had I could have improved things by going in and darkening more of areas, if I had actually done that it would rapidly have become overworked. One of the things that makes this style interesting are the passages like the pillar in the centre of the composition, where the mixture of yellows and ultramarine violet have granulated out into the depressions of the rough paper.

This is the reference used. I cropped it severely from the supplied original.

The Cellist 1

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery


14 x 10 in  -  36 x 25 cm     Watercolor    

This was painted as a piece for my "Musing on Composition" blog. If you want to read about this painting in detail see this link.

For others who browse this blog, here is the reference photo which I took only a few days ago in a church in London.

This is a mock-up of the work I did to ckeck its design. For more info see the above links.

Umbrellas in the Park

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

10 x 14 in  -  25 x 36 cm     Watercolor     This is another two-hour challenge. In a sense this is a bit of fun because the composition is so given to you so straight from the reference photograph.

There are no blues in my painting, the main colours are perylene red and perylene green. These combine to make an interesting greys. However if you try to mix it strongly the mixture dries surprisingly light, so you need to apply it in multiple washes.

I also use some yellow; raw sienna, raw umber and cadmium yellow. The cad yellow was needed to mix with the perylene green to get the light green for the grass and trees.

This is the reference photograph cropped only slightly by me so as to fit the proportions of a quarter of a sheet of imperial size watercolour paper.

Brits on the Beach

Click Image to see larger version in my gallery

14 x 21 in  -  35 x 53 cm     Watercolor     This started out with clear thoughts and good intentions. It just got slowly harder as it went on.

In the end I just decided to go for a finish, any sort of a minimal finish and call it done. For a change I painted this standing up at my plein air easel. I was actually inside the putting all my "outdoors" gear to the test.

Next month I am away for another week with John Yardley. It always pays to be up to speed with the use of your equipment.

The ref shown is the unmodified uncropped photo I took on holiday in 2006. For the painting I omitted the central figure in order to improve the composition. I'm sure it is better for it.