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.