*** Updated ***
The original photo was a little blurred so I have retaken this using a better camera :)
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| 'Home just in time', Monochrome watercolour on Cotman 200lb, 9x12" |
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Black as thunder (updated)
The weather here in the UK is still too poor to do much plein air work, and so I have been playing with big brushes and trying to loosen up a little with lots of rich tube colour. I tend to use pan colours mainly and so it's really freeing (and great fun too) to just slosh pigment around as though it's going out of fashion! I thought it would be nice to get the feeling of the brooding skies that we have been having a lot of here lately. This one is the best of a few of the 'moody monochromes' that I painted using only Winsor and Newton Lamp Black, a lovely warm inky black.
*** Updated ***
The original photo was a little blurred so I have retaken this using a better camera :)
*** Updated ***
The original photo was a little blurred so I have retaken this using a better camera :)
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Hi Michael, what a fantastic sky, the real star of this wonderful painting! I like it, included the nice title. Ciao.
ReplyDeleteHi Tito and thank you. The sky is indeed the star of this one! Ciao!
DeleteThis really is a lovely piece of work! So moody and atmospheric! Loving that sky too :0)
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra! I was very tempted to do the 'polar bear in a snowstorm' as I suggested in your recent post Art gone mad ... but the temptation to use some paint just got the better of me ;)
DeleteHI Michael, what an amazing piece. You certainly have captured the stormy sky, so much like the one we had a few days ago. Love the monochrome approach, it reminds me of Ron Ranson's, I have all of his books and studied using the Hake brush and limited palette. He is a great artist and I think Ron Ranson would be very impressed with your painting.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you,
Joan
Hi Joan and a big 'Wow, thank you'! Ron Ranson was one of the first that inspired me on my journey in watercolours. I love the seemingly effortless way he captures a subject with just a hake, a flat and a rigger! Apparently he was a student of Edgar Whitney, another big brush painter and my personal favourite US painter ... after you of course :)
DeleteJust the right painting to capture the summer we are having! Fabulous big brush wet in wet work, Michael! I'm so sorry it's too wet to do plein air painting.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy and thank you! Yes, it has been a stinker of a summer so far hasn't it ... but it's nice to play around with the big brushes and lots of paint :)
DeleteIt's like that down here too. The sky was amazing at the beach this morning with added sea mist swirling around in places. You would have loved it!
ReplyDeleteThe perspective in the clouds is great in this one, really adds to the sense of depth. I can't wait to see more moody monochromes - I love black watercolour.
Hi Lisa and thank you! Blacks clouds and swirling sea mist ... sounds awesome! We were down in Weymouth two weeks ago and were reminded how quickly the weather rolls in along that coast. I'm enjoying experimenting with the Lamp Black ... so more moody monochromes soon hopefully!
DeleteWow! Terrific movement...wonderful painting. Feel that breeze!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sharon! A typical East Anglian sky don't you think?
DeleteThis sky is magnificent! You captured very well the gloomy mood of a stormy summer day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Blaga! I'm pleased that I got the gloomy mood across :)
DeleteWow, Michael. What a power in this painting. So nicely done and that only with black. Really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Renske. Using just one colour makes you concentrate on the values.
DeleteHello Michael:) It could be painted plein air in Holland:) Love this scene on your painting. For real I've seen too much of it now:( Great art!
ReplyDeleteHello Renate and thank you! I get the impression that the rest of Europe is not getting very good weather too :(
DeleteSo rich in atmosphere and mood. Great painting.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weather will be sunny and warm in your area soon.
Thank you Irina. The weather seems to be on the change ... so fingers crossed :)
DeleteDefinitely dark and brooding clouds, wonderful storm atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. I wasn't sure that 'brooding' would mean anything outside the UK but clearly it does! I really appreciate your comments!
DeleteWow you've been busy Michael. Just dropped in to see what you've been up to. Think this is my favourite as it succinctly sums up our British Summer this year. It's moody, full of life and movement, with great contrasts that aren't easy in monochrome. Well I suppose we had two sunny days this week... so I mustn't grumble. Take care. Laura :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura. I've been trying to get a little time in to paint recently but you know how it is. Once I've got the forest at the back under control I should have more time to paint ... but with Crown emulsion not watercolour. The weather really has been dreadful hasn't it?!
DeleteOh the weather is as fabulous as at your home than at mine! This watercolor is a perfect translation.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lydie. Oh dear, sounds like it's a case of 'Il fait mauvais' for you too then ?!
DeleteLove it MiKe. Reminds me of home.
ReplyDeleteSorry this is your British "summer" weather :?
Thank you Sue! I'm sure it will get better .. it's just being typical Wimbledon weather at the moment though:)
ReplyDeleteYep that just about sums it up! Brilliant monochrome, reminds me of most of the walks I've been on this year - I keep saying my luck with the weather will change soon but it has just been relentless - my waterproofs have certainly had a good thrashing over the last few months!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon! Thank you very much. I used to cycle and occasionally climb or pothole in the Peak District close to where I grew up long,long ago so I can appreciate your experiences with high country weather! As far as now is concerned, I'm keeping my waterproofs in the pannier just in case the deluge comes back again !
DeleteHola Michael.
ReplyDeleteThat stormy sky is fabulous! You played great with water and pigment, only one pigment!. You have achieved this mood of the monochrome .
Here we are suffering a heat wave, so one of those storms would be great!
Hugs.
Hola Conchi.
DeleteThank you very much for your lovely comment! I find it much easier to get the tones that I want when I work with just one pigment that has a dark mass tone - burnt umber, prussian blue or one of the blacks. I just wish I could get the same effect with my colours :( We have had a couple of hot summer days this week too, no heatwave though and the Atlantic is still being thrown at us ! Abrazos.
michael... too hot here ! ... grey and moody ... lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. I think I prefer hot to grey and moody, but not too hot!
DeleteWow this is wonderful. Try glazing a pale yellow ochre over some of it. I've seen that done with spectacular results.
ReplyDeleteJean
Thank you Jean and thank you too for the glazing suggestion!
DeleteI love everything about this painting, Michael and you have certainly caught our British summer this year ... great work! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ingrid and thank you ever so much! The weather does seem to be improving slightly ... but we're still getting the odd shower.
ReplyDeleteI really like the reflections in the water on this one!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Catharina!
ReplyDelete