Margaret's Gallery April 2022

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More Tulips

I spent the best part of a day with the second attempt which I ruined and then trying the image for the third time until I had completed stage 4. At this point I was really pleased and forced myself to stop knowing my eyes were tired and didn’t want to ruin yet another. I had a break the next day but placed my painting opposite the chair where I sit and I studied it over a few hours. I decided to remove some of the paint on the stems and leaves and re- sketched to make corrections.The following morning I thought I had made a mistake in doing that but carefully painted the foliage again and added stronger shades of colour to the whole image.
I really wanted to have a finish in pure watercolour but felt it needed tidying up…. may have overdone that.
I am happy with the result and it looks better at a distance . I may frame it as it’s the most complex and lengthy watercolour I have ever achieved and I am proud that I preserved with a media I once greatly disliked.

Tulips

Initially I was really pleased with my interpretation, especially when viewed from a distance. This is the first painting of flowers that I haven’t totally ruined.
I used a white gel pen to restore some of the white elements and added detail with fine liner pens. I think the foreground stems and leaves are a little jumbled and would like to re- attempt this task.

Iris

I thought the iris looked a little static but seemed easy enough to sketch. My first attempt was too large so I used a grid for this and added fine liner detail. As I used Bristol board I added watercolour with pencils and an aqua brush which I found therapeutic.

Cakes and trees in INK

I have combined these tasks in order to make a comparison using the two types of ink.
I did the trees in dipping ink which I find less easy to control as the ink flow isn’t sometimes unreliable. I was pleased with the result and managed to do some fine detailing too.

The cakes were done using my favourite fine liners as they are more dependable and ideal for intense crosshatching. I don’t think the dipping ink would have behaved so well. I am also more confident using fine liners and the process was relaxing an ideal remedy for stress relief.

Barn

I loved this task, it was reasonably easy to portray and so very restful and relaxing. The atmosphere in class today was very calming and everyone remarked upon this.
I have always disliked watercolour as I would usually spoil my sketch when applying colour. Following plenty of practice and perseverance I no longer fear it. The best tip supplied by a fellow classmate Lesley , a more accomplished watercolourist , to use less paint and more water has definitely been vital to the improvement in my work. The addition of pen and ink also enhances this task.

Empty Welsh coattage

This was so enjoyable to do, the sky was a little disappointing as the pastel mat I was using was peach in colour so I couldn’t achieve the desirable effect. However it was so relaxing and the combination of the media worked well. Sad that this little Welsh cottage is soon to be demolished.

Tiger

Interesting subject and whilst I really enjoyed doing it, I wish I had spent more time getting the proportions and features more accurately placed. Also disappointed that some of the white pastel isn’t as vibrant as I would like on the left side of his face.
The tiger doesn’t look too happy either , I think it’s been an ageing process for him.

Primula Primrose

I found after doing the pencil sketch first I knew exactly how to approach it .I didn’t have the same colours so used similar shades that I had available. I loved it , I used pastel for the background and an aqua brush to spread it. This made the colours more vibrant and also prevented any smudging. I was totally engrossed for hours .

Primrose

Not the most attractive of flowers but the pencil sketch appealed to me. This was great fun getting the details and many layers of toning and contrast. I used Bristol board so when I had finished I was able to blend the graphite with my finger and soften some of the mark making.