While this is not really a recent work, the monoprint was done in the past 24 months.
Our class topic at the time was on using color and line, format, and subject placement to create a ‘feeling’ that would be clear and evident for viewers to identify.
I created, a somber nearly desolate feeling in this landscape.
While working the process that day I finished quite a number of monoprints.
Some were florals, some animals & people – which you have seen.
And then this one, which you haven’t seen.
Blue Ink
I chose to use only the blue ink and hand printing on a pale creamy paper.
The paper wasn’t pure white.
I thought, I might temper the starkness… just a little.
The solitary tree rising, carries with it a feeling of not just aloneness, but also the sense of barrenness.
There is no foliage in sight.
Where, did all the foliage go we wonder?
Where are the other trees?
And, then, the next thought our minds consider, might be:
“Is this tree still alive? Still struggling? Or is it finished?”
The prints you have previously seen:
Lines in Indigo Blue monoprint….. debiriley.com (c)
Watching the waves advance and retreat, an endless meditational loop.
Seashore
Creative Pursuits
OK. I admit I wasn’t there this week!!
I’ve been occupied with other forms of creative endeavors. Taking in… and storing up colors, shapes and forms from my drives, my zen strolls, formulating lesson plans.
And “painting hair.”
We were planning to paint on canvas this weekend. I had several brilliant ideas lined up.
I thought we could each use 5-6 large canvases and splash, pour, splatter and throw the paints on.
Outside.
Yellow would be a feature color, with a pop of magenta and pink.
Maybe CTB. For that hint of green.
But.
Plans change.
As they do with an 11 year old girl. Anyone else relate to that?!
So instead, we all enjoyed the creativity that magenta-pink hair painting offered us.
Using the ‘canvas’ of her long blonde hair.
With the 3 of us involved, it was great fun.
More fun, I’m quite sure thank if we’d gone ahead and painted on the canvases!
Sea Painting
I was however, determined to use a painting for Monday’s post.
Awhile ago, I’d gone to the beach overnight and really had a wonderful time.
Immersing myself in the water, the mood, the ‘feeling’ of the place in order to better convey its unique character, and essence.
I’d taken hundreds of snapshots, as you do.
at the beach
Surf and Sand
And being inspired by the mood of the sea I had painted on a large canvas ….just the waves coming in.
You can check that earlier post Sea Salt, Surf showing you this painting.
Its easy, fast, less hassle. Less likely to get muddy. Better chance of getting my tonal values right.
But maybe next time, my palette might be: buff titanium, white, cobalt, cobalt teal blue CTB, cerulean and ultramarine blue. They would all harmonise really well together and fit into the sea surf theme perfectly too.
Changed Up, new format
Designing
By turning it over upside down and around, cropping the sides, turning it into a long vertical, etc. creates improved designs.
And while, I still might repaint over this at some stage … for now, I can leave it.
Let it rest. While I think about it.
I’m not in a big hurry.
The waves are pleasant and breeze is warm, the sand feels so lovely and soft.
We’ve found out how to read the labels and, why that is so relevant.
(Pigment identification numbers, lightfastness ratings, series, names, brands, single pigment paints vs multiple ingredients.)
Plus, what opaques, granulators, stainers, transparents are and how you can use them to their best advantage, avoiding their liabilities!
Which ones are good social mixers and which ones, like to be the solo artists.
We also are discovering, how the differing brands of the same paint name, can make or break a color blend on your painting.
Last Term Blues Featured
2017 started off on the Cool side, focusing on the magnificent Blues of watercolor.
Daniel Smith Indigo, cobalt pb28, the 2 types of cerulean, prussian blue pb27, ultramarine pb29, phalo blue pb15.3 and indanthrone pb60 were the featured paints. We combined them with the lovely Daniel Smith Naples Yellow and Winsor Lemon py175. Totally fascinating!
Blues in Watercolors, debiriley.com (c)
Term 2 Warm Colors of the Earth
This term we’ve focused on Warms and the Earth colors.
Permanent Rose Pv19, Winsor and Newton Permanent Alizarin Crimson Pr206, Raw Umber PBr7, Burnt Sienna PBr7, Light Red. Now we are integrating these with the Blues in Landscape themes.
It has been a great fun challenge so far.
Especially trying to keep in mind, Keep it Loose, Keep it Simplified. And, Don’t get bogged down with “replication.”
ah yes…. easier said, than done.
Its a Challenge!
Weekly Watercolor Workouts
Each week, I suggest a little something for them to do at home.
Making sure they all feel free to Ad Lib. To change the recipe to suit.
Weekly Watercolor Works (WWW)
This week it is about depth. About aerial perspective.
About Foregrounds.
And we will be mixing from only the colors we have from Term 1 and Term 2 to obtain the illusion of depth.
The aim is to enable the viewers to ‘walk through’ the paintings smoothly.
Not rough or bumpy, but a beautifully even and smooth, stroll through.
Yes.
It is a Challenge……… Join Us?!
I mentioned to my lovely friends that I’d share some helpful visuals on my next post and title it The Challenge.
The landscape photographs you see here, you are welcome to use as references for your watercolor paintings too, as part of The Challenge. I’d appreciate it though, that my paintings, not be copied/used as reference. Its important, as many of my images are for sale in my shops…..Thanks!
One of the dilemmas, new artists face is how to create depth.
How to avoid that ‘flatness’ that happens so often. As it did to me, for way too long!
Color.
Is the simplest key. But it is, The second on my list actually.
The first is, of course tonal values. (See the Burnt Sienna landscape above)
If we make sure that the foregrounds are very warm (reds, oranges, terracottas, yellows)
and the middleground areas are less warm (greens – lime greens, grass green, blue greens)
and then the backgrounds are quite cool (grey greens, blues, pale grey lavenders) Well!
Then we will have a lovely smooth stroll through the painting.
The painting will have depth and perspective.
HOW? You ask.
Always, mentally divide the photo, painting, subject into sections.
Background. Middleground. Foreground.
Assign each, the ‘temperature’ of colors that is appropriate for its location.
Foregrounds, mid, backgrounds
Forest Depths, warm to cool watercolors debiriley.com
Lets say I have mixed up a lemon green for a field that is closer to the front. Maybe it was a canola field? Anyway, to make the back part of that field recede like it needs to, all I need to do is add increments of a blue to the mix and paint away.
Lets say I’ve some bushes, shrubbery that are in the foreground, middle, background…..
Something like this, might be the way to go.
Landscape Greens, warm colors in Front – cooler in the Back
Some Reference photos, that I thought might be helpful are below.
Landscape photo, challenge
landscape fields, foreground – background
Pink Lake, landscape depth foregrounds
Foliage Misted Tangles
What you’ll want to do is to simplify.
Mentally divide the image into the 3 sections back, mid, foreground.
Assign each area the appropriate color temperature and textural effects and tonal value.
meadow
Never try to ‘just duplicate’ a photo. They don’t tell the truth, anyway!
Use the photos as guides.
Suggest….. the details. There is truly no need to reveal, expose it all.
Go for a close approximation and do your best to put your own spin on things.
Relax.
Its just a piece of paper.
Watercolor Basic Posts you’ll find great resources:
The lively textures also, usually are placed in the foreground and the focal point area.
I resolved the dilemma.
With 2 strokes.
Pause.
But, I had to pause. And think about it.
I needed to allow my mind to sort through ideas.
Such as: How can I balance all that texture? All that warmth? What about using the complement of the orange? Well, then… which Blue would work best? Which Brush, do I want to use? Which direction to move it in? Go bold, go lyrical, go with curves, go with angles?
