The recent full day trip to Kuligow village ended up with a pencil sketch. I wanted to paint outside, yet we ran out of time. The additional challenge was the presence of other painters... well.... it wasn't easy to take the sketchbook out from the bag and start sketching 8-O. They had their competition running and I wanted just do another exercise.
We've met few of them, had a nice chat, we could watch as they work, ask what are their favourite subjects or tools, why they're there etc. Really nice experience. They liked my sketch (they said they like ;))
What were my goals this time?
- speed - as always
- finding the right frame, not too close and not too far
- maximum simplicity to capture most of the objects appearing in this scene
- avoid measurements, before it always slowed me down, and I didn't need such precision here
- mark important shadows and where to reserve whites
- paint using more contrast, more vivid color and do not follow the reality too much
- unexpected part: face the unknown for me artists
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| Final watercolor painting - browse the complete paintings gallery |
...This time I tried to find some good body position, yet after 30 minutes it was again hard to stand with that weird easel (see photo below). At the moment I am not planning to buy one.
The photo was a great reference, but better sketch means - less work later. I could create another sketch based on the first one, but at the moment it's something I don't like to do.
Instead of printing the reference picture or looking at the camera LCD, I connected my camera to the TV and it was a pretty good solution.
Painting process took me less than 3 hours at home.If not the fragile sketchbook paper and if I could paint outdoors, I could shorten it. Although this painting would then look completely different. I think it's still a bit overloaded.
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| Pencil sketch - browse the pencil drawings gallery |
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| Reference photo |
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| Here I am using the hay fork as an easel |
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| © belong to the artist painter |
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| © belong to the artist painter |
So.. as compared to the stage from 6 months ago, I can see that participating in such painting workshops was a great idea. That's why we already joined the next edition. It is starting on October 7th.
30 hours more at the same place (Wilanow: Royal Academy of Arts) and with the same master painter. Next time we are going to look for some other place to learn.
Wish me luck! And thanks for the visit, I hope you like my painting:)
The pitchfork easel looks a bit tricky to use, not sure that idea will become popular lol.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you are using an A5 size book to work in, how do you find that size to work with in the field? I'm still using an A6 size because I love the paper in those books and I haven't bought any bigger ones yet.But I find I'm drawing very small in them though because I like to leave some white paper around my image when I'm working. A5 seems a better size really, room for some blank paper and a larger painting too.
Love your use of colors in this painting and the way the background fades out behind the roof to give a sense of distance.
Keep it up :)
So it's the pitchfork, I couldn't find the right word;) You're right after 30 minutes my left hand was really tired.
ReplyDeleteA5 small size is very comfortable to use, transport and small area helps to finish the sketch quickly. The only problem is that LATER you find it to small when you want to paint over it at home.
A6 would be to small for me and if I would like to take a high res photo it would be to small also.
Recently I am thinking about using A4 much often to give my hand and lines more freedom.
Although I got a block of watercolor paper for that purpose. Painting "wet on wet" in a sketchbook is difficult because of the waving paper and the fear that everything is going to be flooded by the water.
That background trick I took from the old masters, it's very popular one. Thanks for the comment :)!!