Monforte Gardens
Dear Steemians and WOX friends: here is another exclusive post I would like to share with you. These are sketches that I publish only on WOX, showing a bit of my artistic process behind the scenes. Click here to see the first post in this series.
This sketch, one of several preliminary drawings for a large watercolor, shows part of the Monforte Gardens in Valencia, Spain. The trees, ponds, shrubs, fountains, marble sculptures and geometric, maze-like hedges were designed to replicate the estate of a wealthy Roman aristocrat.
Today the gardens offer a quiet haven from the racket of the city and, not surprisingly, a favorite location for weddings (and other romantic encounters.)
There are a lot of fine details, I was wondering when you apply colours does it make your work difficult to do them and how you do the small details?
Hello stef1 and thank you for the questions, even though I'm not sure I can answer them. I usually draw in pencil and work slowly and patiently. I'm not interested in drawing every detail but rather only those that can provide an occasional focal point. (It's difficult to know what details to leave out, trusting in the imagination of the viewer to fill them in.) Adding colors is also tricky. I try to make sure that there are at least 5 values, including the lightest light and the darkest dark, with the remaining 3 somewhere in between. Sometimes I also like to leave an image undone in order to suggest a "process of seeing," rather than a finished "product." Did that help answer your question? If not, let me know. In any case, I appreciate how closely you observe what I do. Are you an artist as well?
Dear John Michael, thank you for your reply, yes, that answers my question. You just read my mind mentioning that you are leaving space for the imagination of viewer to finish the scene, I believe this is the golden middle that is difficult to find for many. But when the Artist found it then the main goal achieved. because this is a nature of our brain to try to finish something that it is completely finished. Like when children love to read the clouds or tea leaves, we all see something that we like to see.
As to colours I am glad that you said that you pay attention to the important rules play with contrast, that is another thing that some people can do automatically but other also will be able to do if they practice.
As to me, I always loved to draw and paint since I was a child, recently I started again, but I know that I am not a real artist as I love to draw and paint from reference and not like many just from their imagination.
I love to spend more time doing paintings, especially watercolour or Oil. Although Oil is not really my friend yet, but I am still keen to try. It is really so nice to chat to you and of course to be able to learn from you. I wish you lovely weekend and see you around :)