At the Edge - Progress

From this 

to this

 Day 1 29/01/2022

Having marked out the shapes some weeks ago, I finally took the plunge and started the next Watercolour - At the Edge.

I started with the sky and the roof before moving on to the top layer of cliff. 

Colours used. Reds, white, burnt ochre, black, blues. Method, wet on wet.

It's much more difficult than Beach Huts, because the strata of the cliff limits the space in which the paint can move. 

I plan to work each strip of cliff, right down to the beach, before removing the masking fluid. I'm not sure how this will affect blending of the watercolours as I will then be working with wet into dry. Perhaps I should remove each piece of masking fluid between layers so that there is more space in which to work downwards.

Day 2: 30/01/2022

Another day of washing (bed linen), walk the dog, and more painting.

Quite happy with progress, even though it's very complicated controlling various elements.

Working each strip wet on wet, then adding details when nearly dry.

Day 3 02/02/2022

Worked all the strips. Laid down the main colour then added the strata colours. Finished the details of the house. Wet on wet and wet on dry.

Day 4 03/02/2022

I took this to the first session of the LALGarts&crafts club and began adding detail to the layers.

I was advised on how to create the land slips but didn't feel confident enough to start scraping without all my equipment.

Others worked on a project supplied by the leader of the group, while others worked on projects they'd brought from home. It's a small group and we're all feeling our way.

There's more work to be done on At the Edge, especially the lower strata and beach. Then it's deciding how to frame and, possibly, making a mount.

Day 5 05/02/2022

I was a bit disappointed with the colours from Day 4, so delayed starting work until I decided whether to start all over from scratch, or try to rescue this one. It's so nearly finished, and my I've started so I'll finish mode kicked in.

I worked until I was reasonably satisfied and then decided the roof of the house needed attention.

I can't work out if I should stop there, as I'm not certain that the land slips are right.

What do you think?

Day 6 06/02/2022

Advice is divided, as usual, into those who say count it as a learning piece, and those who say it can be made better.

Added more vegetation to delineate the shape of the layers and the slippage within them.

Just need to adjust some shades in the bottom layer and on the beach.

A problem with the house was pointed out to me. I painted over the soffit board in the wrong colour. Adjusted that and did some tinkering with the colours.

Removed the masking tape from the paper and discovered an uneven white strip around the painting.

There's also a problem with the frame's mount, which is exactly the same size as the painting. I will have to work out how to attach it to the backing board so that it does not come forward to touch the perspex. May have to create an acrylic border around the painting the same shade of grey as the frame.

Day 7 07/02/2022

Finished, mounted, (with the help of double-sided sticky tape)

and hung.

Into the unknown

 

My next painting is very much out of my comfort zone. It's based on a photograph I took of the erosion close to Southwold Beach. With each rock fall, more of the structure of the cliff is revealed. It's colourful and full of movement of the layers. Quite a challenge.

I played around with the colours in a photo-editing app and managed (more by luck than design) to create something rather special. I hope I can do it justice. 

I've marked out the watercolour paper and put masking fluid on the relevant lines.

I'm hoping I can paint this in sections, starting with the house in jeapordy.

Portrait - AlfV2 - The jacket

 

I have planned three more portraits of Alf. He's really photogenic. Two are for A4 sized Canvases, one is for A3 sized canvas.

The first A4 portrait is The Jacket. I manipulated a black and white photo of Alf in his new rain jacket in a picture editing app. The result is a very colourful portrait of Alf looking very Alflike.

I started the first A4 canvas by laying a yellow ochre ground. The first sketch was full of mistakes, so I re-did sections of ground and started again.

I will use the colour version as painting guidance. Again, I'm hoping to limit my pallet to a few colours to achieve the desired effect.

Day 1 13/01/2022

Started with the eyes and ears. Added guide lines for the jacket and background.

Started to block in the background colour but stopped when the shape of the face began to look wrong. 

Need to add the shadows around the haw and nose before going any further. Headach stopped play (gassing from new foam mattress from day bed, yesterday.)

Day 2 16/01/2022

Added detail to the face.

Coming along nicely, though the acrylics are drying much darker, as usual.

Started repairs to lighten the colours.

Day 4 17/01/2022

Decided to be bold with brush strokes and colours. Result looks a mess close-up but rather good from a distance. Just a little more touching up on the ears and it should be finished.

Digital image in the background and black and white enlargement of the next A3 portrait planned for March,

I've  already found the perfect spot for this portrait one it is finished.

Finally stopped tinkering. Took out some of the fussy background for a cleaner portrait.

Next!

The Beachcomber, progress

 

I find working with acrylics much easier than watercolours (doesn't everyone?) Day 1 painting The Beachcomber is no exception. 

I'm trying a fairly limited pallet to make a colourful version of this photo;

just white, black, 2 reds, 2 blues, 2 yellows, and burnt umber.

Day 1 6 Jan 2022

I really enjoyed today's session, even though, at one paint, I wasn't certain that the masking fluid had worked. 

It had, the background sky and sea was easily removed from the figure.

I'm looking forward to continuing with this over the next few days.

Day 2. 9th Jan 2022

I decided to continue working on The Beachcomber, adding streaks of colour that aren't in the original photo. It's all a little dark at the moment, especially the beach, but, being acrylic, I should be able to adjust it.

The sky is almost done, but the sea and beach need more detail and coherent structure.

Day 3 10 Jan 2022

I decided to paint gesso over the beach and then start re-working the dark colours in the sky. Step one - gesso and pool of light.

I took the problem to the online forum on Leisure Painters online . Armed with lovely comments and sterling advice, I set about transforming the work.

I reworked the sky, making the whole thing lighter and brighter. The pool of light needs more work and the newly-added pebbles need some practice with the technique elsewhere before I continue. It's already looking better. 

Day 4 11 Jan 2022

Added more detail in the sky and on the beach. Tried to keep the colours bright and the details to a minimum. This is much better and I think I should call it finished before I start to ruin it again.

Signed and varnished and hung (temporily) in the dining room.

The Beachcomber

 

I've started a new A3 acrylic painting. It's based on a photo of Eamonn, taken in happier times. First, I laid the acrylic ground colour.  A change from burnt umber and white, this is burnt umber, aquamarine, and white. It's a pale grey/blue, painted onto a ground of three layers of gesso to wipe the failed sketch of Alf.

Next, I added the outlines, marking them with masking fluid. I needed just the horizon, seashore line, and Eamonn's silhhouette marked. 

 

I'm planning to use the style I tried for Alf's portrait, rather than a straight copy of the original photo. For this reason, I have printed it in black and white as my guide.