Koi 3 and 4 - Two Works in Progress

Today I am working on more sketches for Koi Pond (see post on 21 May 2014) and did another ten koi in different positions.














Koi 3

I also chose two of these sketches and transferred the images onto small pieces of watercolor paper as I did the first time (see post on 06 July 2014) I worked on sketches for this painting.













Koi 4

I will post both of these koi paintings at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Resting on a Hinge - A Work in Progress

I always enjoy watching my swallows as they twist and turn in flight and they are often out with me while I am mowing the lawn and stirring up bugs for them.














So rather than have them in flight, I chose to have a swallow resting on one of the hinges on the large barn doors of the west barn.

I will post this sketch at a later date once I have completed the outline drawing.

Bath Time - A Work in Progress

Today I thought I would do a little more work on this painting that I had started last week (see post on 11 July 2014).












The first thing I had to do was tighten up the drawing and make a few changes to get the proportions correct.












Next was to put in the background using various mixtures of raw sienna and burnt sienna.













Using a wash of pure Cobalt blue I blocked in the towel and set the painting aside to dry.

I will post this painting at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

Rubber Ducky 1 - A Work in Progress

It seems as though I am working on rubber ducks this month so I thought I would continue and do a little more work on this piece that I had started earlier this year (see post on 28 March 2016)  of just
the rubber duck and a towel.













Using a wash of French ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue and burnt sienna I brushed in the background.

While the background was drying I made up various mixtures of blues for the towel using Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, Cobalt blue and burnt sienna.














Using up to five layers of the various blues I painted the towel until I was happy with the depth of colour and set it aside to dry.

I will post this painting at a later date once I start work on the duck.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Four Seasons - Four Works in Progress

I decided that I wanted to do forest scenes each slightly different showing the four seasons.

The first one I pulled out was called Grey Sky H (see post on 18 July 2013) to be my spring painting.














Spring Forest 3

I drew in a large tree for the foreground and indicated the horizon line where the background trees will be painted.

The next painting was called Blue Sky A (see post on 07 July 2012) which would become my summer painting.















Summer Forest 3

I pulled out this paintings that I had started last year (see post on 18 July 2013), at which time it was called it Blue Sky F.














Autumn Forest 3

I drew in a main tree and a couple of slightly smaller trees to create interest and lightly indicated a few of the smaller background trees.

The last painting was called Grey Sky J (see post on 18 July 2013) and would become my winter painting.














Winter Forest 3

I drew in a large tree for the foreground and put in the horizon line where the background trees will be painted. I may also add a few more closer trees once the snow has been painted.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date once more work on them has been completed.

Daisies I - A Work in Progress

After working on yesterday's painting I thought it may be interesting if I did another as a companion piece with the taller daisies on the opposite side and who knows I may do a third one in the landscape orientation.

Once again I used masking tape as a resist to create the daisies where I wanted the white of the paper to show.

I used various mixtures of Antwerp blue, alizarin crimson, raw sienna, burnt sienna, new gamboge, Cerulean blue and French ultramarine blue for the under paint which was applied wet on dry paper.

I set this painting aside to dry and will post it again at a later date once I start to work on it in the negative.

Daisies - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started earlier this year in a watercolour class with Emil Varga (see post on 05 March 2014).

The under painting was already completed with the basic growies and grasses and now it was time to add more details by painting in the negative which is a slow and thoughtful process.

I mixed various dark colours using Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna, Cobalt blue, Payne's grey and alizarin crimson.

Using the blacks, browns, greens and purples I gradually added the dark grasses and growies and wove them in between and behind the existing grass shapes.

Sometimes this can be discouraging, when you spend a fair amount of time and at first it doesn't seem as though much has been accomplished. But the end result is usually well worth the effort.

I will post this piece at a later date once more work on this painting is completed.