It is always rewarding painting the landscape as the creative process makes you observe the land. That curve which marks the edge of the field I would say is significant in this painting. It gives the field character and draws the viewers attention.
I introduced some brown into the sky which I had not done before. This provides some warmth and creates a mood of calm.
What strikes me about this picture are the clear washes of color. All the landscape elements seem well defined.
Discovering new color combinations and imagining how I would put them to use is an endless fascination. We have such strong associations with color going back to childhood that it can move you in ways you can't fathom. For instance, this coloring reminds me of attending a wedding reception in Boulder, Co., in late summer, when the drought turned the foliage and earth to a similar hue.
The pairing of red cadmium and burnt umber gives you a western or dry feel that is distinct from all the greens I normally experience or paint. To me this pairing is more of an earth color than I thought.
The backdrop of orangey-red makes the browns come forward. I particularly like the reflection along the water.
It is amazing how far you can develop your landscape painting with one wash of watercolor. This is an arches bound watercolor book which I randomly use because I prefer to paint at various scales.
However, if you paint from the top down with a slight incline and follow the bead of moisture you can put down a picture from the get-go.
As it begins to dry you can go in and apply some details or strengthen your values if you feel it is necessary. Afterwards, I went in and added the upper blue for the water so the contours of the landscape read more easily.
When I am pressed for time or feeling sick I revert to painting watercolor studies. This is a photograph from my multi-media, Holbein sketchbook.
There seems to be an endless array of pigment combinations available to the modern watercolor painter. However, to arrive upon a tried and true color combination for use in your watercolor painting takes patience and practice.
Currently, I like the colors used in the lower right watercolor. I used only two pigments: sepia and pthalo blue. The combination of drybrush and the cool colorations appeal to me.
This landscape was painted with two pigments: cadmium red and ultramarine blue. I don't believe the photograph does the image justice. However, one can recognize the fluidity of the colors and the variation within the colorations.
Dropping in more color in the foreground before the pigments dry gives the picture a greater sense of depth. The use of a rigger brush suggests dormant growth on the edges of the painting.
I often sit on the couch while watching television with a small sketchbook to jot down pigment combinations which come to mind or others that I intend to experiment with.
Holbein puts out this multi-drawing book which I have fully embraced as a sort of watercolor sketchbook. It has very white, yet thin pages. However, it is lovely to paint on. They come in all different sizes. I don't believe they are intended for building up layers of washes, as such they are great for being on the go.
Along the journey of using these books I have appreciated the value in leaving the white of the paper unpainted where possible. It makes for very vibrant wet on dry watercolor painting. The edges you get can be very lively and expressive.
It can be useful for figure studies and experimenting with different pigment combinations.
Believe it or not, this is the Brattleboro Common (Vermont) in the middle of winter, at an earlier point in February. What snow we had, had melted before it snowed again. It looks like it could be early November or early April. Go figure.
I like the contours of the landscape and the wall of trees along the edge of the lawn. There is a stillness in this picture which I find calming.
Signing one's name on a painting seems to be a delicate matter for many artists. You don't want your signature to be too big or gaudy in color, yet look professional. I believe I have improved a lot in this department.
To advance in watercolor you need to go in directions you can not anticipate. Sometimes taking a workshop can expose you to techniques that will open your eyes. Other times exploring different subject matter may change your perspective.
I am proud of the direction this watercolor has taken. Originally, I was experimenting by painting a sky with some yellows and horizontal cloud shapes. However, it looked dark and unimaginative. So this watercolor sat on my table for some time.
Recently, it occurred to me I could paint a different landscape over this watercolor. It is far from done but I am inspired to carry forth. Actually, I am painting a summer scene of the local retreat meadows onto this watercolor.
This dark sky has become a welcome addition as this has a dramatic setting and it pushes me to paint more value in to my sky.
The thought of a sunny late summer day after shoveling snow for days is really appealing to me. This is the upper field at the Brattleboro Retreat in Vermont.
I have always admired how the foreground foliage frames the field and the light and shadows etc. Ironically, one would expect to run in to people from time to time in such a great space but seldom do I cross the path with others up their.
For some time I had been meaning to capture the field in watercolor with it's feathery foreground foliage. Clearly, many greens were created but in the foreground I experimented with mixes of sepia and burnt sienna.
This was painted on a 12" x 16" Arches (cold press)watercolor block.
