Original Watercolor - In the Field Alone (stepped process)
It's a dreary day today due to the remnants of hurricane Alberto. We've had very light winds but plenty of rain. The extended Memorial Day weekend was fairly relaxing and got to spend some quality time with the family. When there was some down time I meditated on a farm scene that had some distant fields and even more distant mountains. My mindset was to stay loose with this one. Here's the process...
Pencil Sketch / Sky
Turns out I'm a total dope. I accidentally deleted the pencil sketch of this painting. But luckily I have the first step in the painting process which shows the pencil sketch and the initial painting of the sky. As you can see, I threw in some mountains, distant field, a farm house on the right and some form of stream or river in the middle.
Watercolor-wise with my #4 Quill brush (one of my favorites) I added a diluted Ultramarine Blue to the left and butted a thin jagged line of Dioxazine Purple right against it. Then I left some white to suggest perhaps some clouds or a color transition along with some Lemon Yellow on the right side with thin blend of Lemon Yellow and Alizarin Crimson to suggest some orange.
Background
Working my way down the painting I used my #6 round and some diluted Dioxazine Purple for the mountain range. Then I added some extremely dilute Dioxazine Purple to bring in some happy little clouds for the rest of the sky to enjoy. For the clouds I decided to follow the suggested cloud line from the initial sky painting. My hope that this would create some continuity in the sky design.
Middle ground
For the middle ground with my #6 round I started with a mixture of Lemon Yellow and Sap Green to create the light field in the distance. Then a straight Sap Green and water for the foreground fields. I outlined the house to keep it neutral until I figured out what color I wanted it to be. Sometimes I go in with a plan. Other times I see what inspiration comes out during the process.
While the middle ground painting was still damp I went back in with my #6 round to incorporate some Burnt Sienna on the edges of the stream and various areas in the foreground. But I wasn't done yet baby! With various dilutions of Sap Green I rode around the shore of the stream to suggest some bushes, grass and shadows.
I feared I'd start getting too detailed in the painting so I forced myself not to get crazy with the fence posts I had planned. I had some mud on my palate so I added some more Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue with less water to make it thicker. I then loaded up my #4 round with this mud and casually slipped in my fence posts following the shore line. The paint stayed a little too dark for my liking on the distant fence posts but it is what it is.
I also decided to separate the foreground from the middle ground area with a row of bushes/trees which consisted of some Sap Green and Payne's Gray. I did this in two layers because the first run was too thin...in my opinion this created a little bit of depth to the trees. So kind of a happy little accident.
Finished
For the finishing touches I used my #6 round along with a slight dilution of my mud to fill in some bushes/trees by the house and add a lonely tree on the left side field. I used a little diluted Ultramarine Blue to paint the house and added a second layer to the back of the house to create the 3D effect. Some diluted Alizarin Crimson was added for the roof and some Payne's Gray for shadows and windows. A variety of dilutions of Ultramarine Blue and Dioxazine Purple were spread out over the stream area using my #4 Quill brush. I then dipped into some remaining Sap Green on my palate to pop in some suggestions of brush and grass throughout the foreground area.
Overall I enjoyed this painting. Upon looking at the painting I imagine sitting in a kayak in the stream taking in the fresh air as birds fly over looking for vermin to dine on. Perhaps I threw a fishing line in to play with some trout or bluegill.
Supplies
Watercolors: Sennelier tubes - Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Lemon Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Dioxazine Purple, Payne's Gray
Brushes: Princeton Neptune - #4 Quill, #6 Round & #4 Round
Paper: Fabriano Acquarello - Hot Press, 100% cotton, 300 g/m, 5"x7"
Hello! Very delicate colors turned out in your watercolors. Do you like drawing?
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Good luck and inspiration to you!
Hi, I do like drawing. But I like painting more. Thank you for visiting. I look forward to more of your work.