(C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Often I only mix two pigments before my brush meets the paper. However, this pattern on the water in the above painting was painted using yellow ochre/burnt sienna/cobalt blue. It seemed like a fresh, natural kind of coloring.
 

I started this watercolor while on vacation in Maine and finished it yesterday. It became more abstract as I painted it which I think is a good thing. I like the combination of raw sienna and viridian in the distant hill.

Recently, I have been using a cellulose sponge to clean-up any runny areas of pigment which has been a real benefit to my painting. In addition, I have been experimenting by using an atomizer to create softer edges in my sky's.  Both techniques I have taken to readily and obsessed about advancing to a greater degree.

Art Supply Haul

                                                                         (C) 2024 Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

While vacationing in Maine it was great to visit some good old art stores with a wide-range of supplies. My favorite art store these days is Artist & Craftsman Supply based in Portland, Maine. I usually find some new art material which I can experiment with from this store.

I purchased several new watercolor blocks and a large watercolor brush on this trip. Since I have been lifting more paint from my paintings as of late I am eager to try out this new Fabriano paper which had a significant price reduction.

Before my trip I earned a gift card of over two hundred dollars from my health care provider which covered most of my art supplies. With the high cost of living these days I feel good about my purchases.

Rembrandt Watercolor Paper

                                                                                 (C)2024 Dale DiMauro
 

Last summer I tried out a new watercolor block called Rembrandt watercolor paper. Oddly, a corner of the top sheet is cut off intentionally on all their watercolor blocks. I don't know why they do this but I love painting on their surface which is cold press. 

The pigment seems to come alive on this surface once I put pigment on the paper. You can see in the above watercolor how fresh the scene appears. I love this quality about the watercolor paper.

I find it best to use a limited palette and paint as direct as possible on this paper. At first I resisted the blotting but have come to accept it as a quality to painting on this paper. 

Over time I have come to accept using a damp sponge as one of my best tools. A sponge prevents any wash from building up or running all over the place. It is particularly useful when painting outside as all kinds of mishaps can impact your painting process.

Thoughts on Painting a Night Scene in Watercolor

                                                                       (C) 2024 Photograph Dale DiMauro
 

Planning a painting in watercolor of a daylight scene is one thing, but doing it of a night scene is a very different experience altogether. First, it is important to settle on a composition that is simple, yet strong.

I have been thinking about this challenge for some time. I have taken photographs of snowy scenes in Vermont under dramatic sky's.

As in a daylight scene, the sky sets the tone or mood for the painting. There is not much white of the paper left unpainted. As a matter of fact, most of the paper is dark.

Some of the warmer colors may be more exaggerated than normally or even be garish. The key I think for me is not to overthink it or overwork the painting. Hopefully, I will be able to post a night scene before long.

Painting Figures in Watercolor

                                                                                           

                                                                (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Painting people in watercolor can be a challenge. Once a person is in the picture they become the focus and all eyes go to that person.

So it is of utmost importance to get the people correct. The drawing needs to be accurate or at least believable in proportion and posture, etc.

This summer I continue to make an effort to draw my people accurate yet bold at all scales. I think my figures are beginning to become fluid and less overworked. Grounding them to the landscape seems to help, too.

This may seem like a redundant topic for a post as I wrote about capturing figures recently. However, the figue and how to portray them on paper is a frequent consideration in my painting.

Quick Watercolor

 

                                                                               (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

For some time, I have been practicing, at times, painting quick or fast watercolors. This requires full concentration and quick decision making. It is a good practice when painting outside to paint fast and direct while recording what one see's of nature as time and conditions can be quite limiting.

I have read where Andrew Wyeth aimed to complete a watercolor in twenty minutes. This is quite a feat when considering he often painted watercolors using a full sheet(22" x 30") of watercolor paper.

In this watercolor I like the defined areas of color and the granulation of pigment in the sky(cerulean blue) and water(ultramarine blue).

Figures In Watercolor

                                                                                             (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

Drawing the figure is one of the most difficult tasks for an artist to master. In the warmer weather I like to travel with my sketchbook to concerts or outdoor events and sketch as freely as possible, what I see before me. At these events I get much input while sketching or painting. Most of it is complimentary and often it is disruptive but I have learned to let the feedback flow through me and move on.

I am committed to filling my current watercolor book and sketchbook with figures in watercolor. Hopefully, by the end of summer I will make progress on capturing the postures and proportions of the human body. This will enable me to intuitively capture individuals I see in my daily life. This requires rendering the human figure at different scales, contexts and media then I may have in the past.

These watercolors were done from life. I find drawing and thus painting these figures quite challenging. yet rewarding. Already I see more direct and fluid watercolor strokes than when I started in early June.

Grafton Ponds VSO Concert

                                                                                  (C) 2024 Dale DiMauro

The VSO(Vermont State Orchestra) concert and fireworks on July 4, 2024 came off with wonderful weather in Grafton, VT. The humidity subsided in the evening making it a lovely experience.

Before intermission I was able to paint this plein air scene. At first the setting sun on the land wasn't all that spectacular, as it has been in years past, but then I was concerned it would get dark before I knew it.

Regardless, I was able to get this watercolor down on paper and clean up before they resumed the concert. However, there were many people watching as I painted with an array of comments at intermission.

For me it is always worth painting outside whenever I can, regardless of how good the picture is because I learn so much when painting outside within a limited timeframe.