Friday 14 October 2011

The meadow - a quick sketch

I've not had a lot of time to sketch or paint this week. In fact today was the first time I've managed to get out again, so I took Louie the Beagle for a long walk to the local meadows, armed with a small sketchbook, a few pencils, and my watercolour paints. I sketched this scene first in graphite and it looked fine. I then added watercolour on the spot and that was a big mistake. It looked way too muddy so it went sraight under the tap when I got home! I added watercolour again and redrew the structure of the main trees with a dip pen. I'm a lot happier with how it looks now.

Happy painting and a wonderful weekend to you all!


Hartford Meadow, watercolour and pen, 4" x 8"

29 comments:

  1. It turned out beautiful! Thank God for the under-the-tap-trick! :) Had to do that myself with a painting yesterday. It sometimes leaves a wonderful underpainting to paint over. I love the pen drawing of the trees!

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  2. It looks great, especially for something that's been under a tap!

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  3. Hi Michael, I'm glad you've managed to sneak in some sketching I've missed reading your posts. This is lovely with the lines of ink. - You are brave running it under a tap.

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  4. Hi Mari - thank you very much for stopping by and your lovely comment! Ciao :)

    Hi Judy - thank you very much. Yes, I know what you mean. The staining colours do leave a nice loose underpainting. I ought to use pen a bit more - John (JWJarts in my sidebar) is a wizard with it.

    Hi Keith. Thank you very much. Yes, I'm pleased it turned out so well - it does changed the texture of the paper a little though.

    Good morning Lisa. Thank you very much. That's nice, I've missed being able to post too :) It's been a combination of cold/flu, workload and general lack of the muse I think! The sketchbook is a tiny Goldline one, fabulous tough paper and beautifully stitched so it lays nice and flat :)

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  5. Good morning Michael.
    This is a lovely, lovely painting. You are an expert at using all mediums my friend, well done. All the best Michael, and have a nice weekend.
    Vic.

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  6. Good morning Vic, and what a lovely bright (but chilly) morning it is. Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I'm certainly no expert in any medium but I think watercolour and pen is one I feel the most comfortable with. All the best Vic, and have a nice weekend yourselves too. Michael.

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  7. What you did worked nicely, you managed to preserve the light. It is a lovely sunny landscape!
    Have a nice Sunday!

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  8. hi michael worked well ... a great pen and wash sketch have a good w-e and thanks for your comment .

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  9. This is great. I would love to have seen the 1st one.

    I have never tried washing out watercolours that haven't worked, to scared to ruin everything I guess. I guess my idea is that the sketches don't have to be perfect - although today someone want's me to scan & get prints of some of mine, so I guess you have the right idea.

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  10. Hi Blaga. Thank you and have a great Sunday yourself too :)

    Hi Jane. Thank you for stopping by. Your latest flower painting is gorgeous!

    Hi Sue. I totally agree. Sketches don't have to be perfect and I don't generally fuss with them (or even with complete paintings) but this was a hurrried mess: I'll blame Louie for accelerating my impatience on this occasion. I'll try to get a photo next time for you so you can see the before and after :) Wow, are you having your sketches published ?

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  11. Great loose painting Michael. :) I scrubbed out a Japanese Anemone painting the other night ... worked a treat. I always carry a camera, I should take a sketch book. Love your spontaneity! :)

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  12. Hi Ingrid. Thank you for your kind comments! It was a bit of a drastic and spontaneous action really as it's only a tiny 4" x 4" sketchbook :)

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  13. Loving this Michael! Mum and Dad wanted to know what I wanted for Xmas and I asked for a W&N Cotman Travel Bag - inspired by your endless posts about how you happened upon a scene and sketched it there and then! :0)

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  14. Love this under the tap work. It came out beautifully once you'd repainted. Bravo! xx

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  15. Hi Sandra. Thank you very much! You'll love your Cotman Travel Bag. Wow, I seem to be having an inspiration giving time, but not an inspiration receiving one unfortunately. I binned four paintings yesterday before finally giving up lol. Anyway, enough about me. I'm really looking forward to seeing all your lovely sketches appearing shortly after Christmas ;)

    Hi Pat. Thank you very much! Washing out and repainting is very much a hit-and-miss kind of technique. Then again, that's what watercolour is all about and that's what makes you and I want to paint using this unforgiving medium in the first place :)

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  16. This is very beautiful Michael. I love the colours. Too bad the first time failed. Fortunately succeeded the second time well.
    Did you have ever drawn or painted your dog?

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  17. Hi Renske. Thank you for your lovely comment. Yes, I posted a painting of my dog Louie on Friday 6th May 2011, before you were following my blog I think.
    It is one I did last year and I scanned it in to post on my Flickr account. I can't find the original sketch now but I think I threw it away, so I will have to do another one. His nose looks a bit funny on my sketch :)

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  18. Love it Michael. It's beautiful and I am looking forward to more of your wonderful work. I have been busy also, life has a way of interfering with our artist endeavors.

    All the best to you,
    Joan

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  19. I like it! Fantastic greens. Ciao.

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  20. Hi Joan, and thank you very much! Yes indeed, unfortunately little time for artistic endeavour :( I think I just need to get up even earlier in the morning :)

    Hi Tito, and thank you very much! I've struggled with greens for years but I think I'm getting there now. Ciao :)

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  21. As someone who's rescued paintings more often than not, I thought I knew most of the tricks but I've never run one under the tap before. Must try that with my next one. This has turned out really well and I love the addition of the pen work. Great job, and thanks for the nice comment. ;-)

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  22. Hi John. Thank you very much! I've done this a few times before but it's not something I'd recommend in a sketch book. I'm glad you saw the earlier comment I made about your pen work. I would have put in a link to your blog but it's a bit of a pain to do in comments :)

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  23. I like this, nice colors and landscape
    the colors green I like

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  24. Thank you very much Jan. I like the greens in this one too :)

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  25. Dear Michael, fortunately you didn't surrender in front of what you believed was an unsuccessful painting - this beautiful watercolour demonstrates that patience and perseverance can be repaid!
    This work has a further special quality: it's been made as a quick sketch, and despite the tap etc, it still shows the freshness and liveliness of location drawings, that I love so much!
    Lucia

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  26. Hi Lucia. Thank you so very much for your truly lovely comment. Although I was working on this in the comfort of home, I was very mindful to keep that spontaneity and looseness we get from working on location. Ciao :)

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  27. I love the mix of pen and watercolor... very nice, Michael!

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  28. Hi Cristina, thank you for stopping by and for your lovely comment. I love your latest piece!

    Hi Rose! Thank you for your lovely comment. Yes indeed, we do have some beautiful scenery here, but you do too so I hope you can get out sometime to capture it in paint :)

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