Pencil studies

(C) 2016 Photograph Dale DiMauro

My art mentor Gerard Doucette impresses upon me the importance of developing quick pencil studies as a means to improve upon your composition before you start painting. I have filled the back of my small sketchbook with many of these postage-sized pencil studies. 

Through eliminating unnecessary details and improving the arrangement of elements you can strengthen your composed picture. For example, if you have an individual in your picture, by lowering the horizon you can strengthen the presence of that individual.

Mr. Doucette helped me develop these pencil sketches last spring for a watercolor composition. It is of a winter scene at a local ski jump. However, since it is of a winter scene I wanted to put it off until at least late fall, after the summer season had passed. Now I am eager to start it.

Big sky

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I tried my hand at a dramatic sky painting. To capture the sky with some sort of mastery is no easy accomplishment in watercolor. However, painting in the ribbon of landmass solidified the painting and provided the scale for the sky.

The inspiration for this picture came from last summer's trip to Maine. Late in the day, near Bar Harbor with all the heavy humidity in the air, even up in Maine, a storm had just passed through. The result was the warm glow of the late day sun.

It seems important to provide some sort of definition to the underbelly of big cloud masses which strengthens the perspective in landscape paintings.

Watercolor sketch

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I purchased this multi-media sketchbook, at a local Michael's, with my fifty percent off coupon. The end result is that for eleven dollars I hope to be able to develop my portrait skills as I fill this book with all kinds of drawings and paintings.

I value these kind of sketchbooks in the winter months when there is more time to record places and people that I see as well as the natural color and light on the land.

This is a pencil sketch turned into a simple watercolor with minimal washes. I like how the intensity of the gaze and colors flow off the paper. I found the paper did not buckle as often is the case with sketchbooks, thus it was a huge benefit.

Landscape study

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This little watercolor was essentially a doodle when the bleeding of the pigments captured my imagination. I am not sure why though. I have been experimenting with two new pigments, cobalt turquoise and permanent magenta. The permanent magenta when mixed with blues create a lovely sky rich with atmospheric affects. The jury is still out on how best to use cobalt turquoise but I have been combining it with ultramarine or payne's gray and arriving at interesting darks.

Between the fluid washes of pigments and the texture of the Arches watercolor paper I really like this landscape. The curly white streaks over the image are when I was testing out white gouache, an opaque paint, for the rigging of the sailboat in my last post.

In hindsight, with the shortness of natural light, at this time of year, I recall wanting to suggest the late afternoon presence of the distant hills in one wash.

Still waters

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I had started after the summer. It had developed well but I needed to paint some rigging and finish some details before I would consider it done. Ah - but to paint the rigging - easier said than done. 

I consider the rigging, the ropes which help hold the sail up, an integral part of the picture due to the reflections on the water. In addition, the rigging is important because they add a crispness to the image in contrast to the misty feel of the atmosphere.

The rigging was painted with white gouache which is an opaque paint that is essential to capture the white crisp lines. I used a lizards lick brush which is oddly shaped, enabling an artist to maintain a fine point.

In retrospect, I had no problem painting the rigging. It could have been painstaking but I practiced on a scrap of paper and then just painted the white in. I like how the white line is not solid which suggests some speckles of light reflecting off of it.

Pencil Portrait

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I found this wonderful art book at our local used bookstore. It is titled How to Draw the Human Head: Techniques and Anatomy, by Louise Gordon. Ironically, many years ago I signed it out as an interlibrary loan. Most of the illustrations in the book of the human head are depicted in pencil and they are beautifully drawn.

I made this drawing from an illustration in the book that inspired me as our national media election coverage was dragging on late tuesday evening. This was a twenty minute drawing. I like the little streak of light along the women's right jaw line.

Having fun with new sketchbook

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

My painting experience has evolved to the point where I am reasonably comfortable painting a large picture which requires larger figures if they happen to be in the composition. To that end I am attempting to improve upon the drawing and painting of my figures. Whether those figures are actively performing some activity out in the landscape or standing while talking on their cell phone, I am trying to capture the posture of these individuals. I have admired Ogden Pleissner's figures, in his watercolors which have a certain degree of authority to them.

I have enjoyed drawing and painting in this new mixed media sketchbook. Fortunately, the pages are thick enough that they do not buckle too much when wet. This way they are easier to work on. In addition, I can paint on the back side too. The idea is to continue to improve upon my figures, automobiles etc., by carrying around this sketchbook and capturing everyday tasks that people normally do and put down a quick wash to record the moment. In this book, in addition, I hope to develop little sketches which may inspire me to paint larger watercolors down the road.

Mist rising from the river

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This is the finished version of the picture I posted on Wednesday. I have added trees and shrubs along with the power lines. The shadows are a big part of this watercolor as they reveal the light areas and the form of objects. 

I experimented by adding white gouache to amplify the mist rising from the river. Otherwise, the mist is largely the absence of color painted with soft edges. On the lawn I introduced burnt sienna to make the green grass less garish.

The shadows in the foreground on the lawn give depth to the picture while not revealing their source.

Here comes the sun...

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

One early morning I set out to capture the effects of the rising sun on the landscape. However, it was difficult to gauge when the sun would reach the landscape as the mist over the river was slow to rise. When it did reach through the mist, boy was it stunning. The sunlight cast dramatic shadows and  revealed stunning fall colors.

This is a watercolor I started, inspired from that week, before I was drawn away to other commitments. What I have been trying to capture is the mist lifting in the valley revealing some of the brilliant fall color on the distant hills. There is a bit more to develop in this picture as there is some foliage in the foreground and some details to attend to but I like the qualities of the light.