Happy painting and a wonderful weekend to you all!
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| Hartford Meadow, watercolour and pen, 4" x 8" |
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!
Happy painting and a wonderful weekend to you all!
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Very nice!!
ReplyDeleteIt 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!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great, especially for something that's been under a tap!
ReplyDeleteHi 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.
ReplyDeleteHi Mari - thank you very much for stopping by and your lovely comment! Ciao :)
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)
Good morning Michael.
ReplyDeleteThis 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteWhat you did worked nicely, you managed to preserve the light. It is a lovely sunny landscape!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Sunday!
hi michael worked well ... a great pen and wash sketch have a good w-e and thanks for your comment .
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I would love to have seen the 1st one.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Hi Blaga. Thank you and have a great Sunday yourself too :)
ReplyDeleteHi 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 ?
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! :)
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)
ReplyDeleteLoving 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)
ReplyDeleteLove this under the tap work. It came out beautifully once you'd repainted. Bravo! xx
ReplyDeleteHi 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 ;)
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)
This is very beautiful Michael. I love the colours. Too bad the first time failed. Fortunately succeeded the second time well.
ReplyDeleteDid you have ever drawn or painted your dog?
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.
ReplyDeleteIt 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 :)
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.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you,
Joan
I like it! Fantastic greens. Ciao.
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tito, and thank you very much! I've struggled with greens for years but I think I'm getting there now. Ciao :)
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. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)
ReplyDeleteI like this, nice colors and landscape
ReplyDeletethe colors green I like
Thank you very much Jan. I like the greens in this one too :)
ReplyDeleteDear 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!
ReplyDeleteThis 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
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 :)
ReplyDeleteI love the mix of pen and watercolor... very nice, Michael!
ReplyDeleteHi Cristina, thank you for stopping by and for your lovely comment. I love your latest piece!
ReplyDeleteHi 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 :)