The Painting Thread... (as opposed to art debate)

[TANGODANCER]

ok - errr.. let me guess... a snowy Poland as the Germans roll in - 3 or 4 tanks and some troops near a trench?

Don't you have some art to debate, or a game of chess to play?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

This is a totally original snow scene impression painting. No photos, just imagination. No details, just suggestion.

Nice one Tango. I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to just loose the imagination onto a fresh sheet of paper yet.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I'm spent the last couple of weeks working up to launching myself onto a second painting. I took all the lessons on board from the first and stupidly then tried to tackle an even harder subject - a live dog.
Anyway after making all the initial sketches and messing about with colours I abandoned the painting for three reasons.
Firstly and most importantly at the time: the paper was wrong - it was very rough, and although I've since discovered that's how most water colour artists prefer their paper, for me it's the wrong medium. I need smoother grade paper.
Secondly: my colours were muddy. I don't know how I managed to keep my colours crisp in the Barley Mow painting, because I hadn't realised you can't just keep washing your brush in a jar of water. You must clean your brush in fresh water for each palette... I know this now.
Thirdly, and most importantly in hindsight: I got the perspective wrong. I was looking down on the dog and therefore my eyeline was boring into the sofa and down to floor level. The painting was intended to be framed and hung at eye level and viewed from four to six feet away and the perspective was wrong.

So I chucked it out

It looked like this when I kicked it into touch (as you can see, not too much work thrown away).

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Anyway. I re-attacked the subject this weekend, and was fortunate that I could still use my initial sketches to lay down the outlines, which I erase before starting to paint in each area. Also the dog is a creature of habit and took up her usual position on the sofa with her head draped over the cushions. This time I worked on the floor so she was looking directly at me and she was at eye-level. I think it's worked better and the finished painting works in its intended position about six foot away on a wall at eye level. Gawd knows what it looks like on a computer screen but here goes, my second painting and my first live subject...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Does it pass the Pencilbiter's maudlin/sentimentality test? I think so.

but I know this, it's bloody hard trying to depict both black and white markings and the play of light and shadow in the same subject. It'd be much easier to do that with sunflowers (for example )

[thebish]

Alan Green???? so it's YOU???

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Alan Green???? so it's YOU???

[jaffka]

Alan Green???? so it's YOU???

I think that he is calling you a c**t

[thebish]

Alan Green???? so it's YOU???

radio 5 football commentator???



Irish... pronounces Howard Webb as "Haaaaard Webb" ?? no??

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Alan Green???? so it's YOU???

radio 5 football commentator???



Irish... pronounces Howard Webb as "Haaaaard Webb" ?? no??

But you've known this for ages...
And now you've blown my cover.

[thebish]

Anyway. I re-attacked the subject this weekend, and was fortunate that I could still use my initial sketches to lay down the outlines, which I erase before starting to paint in each area. Also the dog is a creature of habit and took up her usual position on the sofa with her head draped over the cushions. This time I worked on the floor so she was looking directly at me and she was at eye-level. I think it's worked better and the finished painting works in its intended position about six foot away on a wall at eye level. Gawd knows what it looks like on a computer screen but here goes, my second painting and my first live subject...

not meaning anything like faint praise - pretty good effort for a live subject and your second attempt! seriously!!

I'm no painter - but clearly the big white expanses of neck and muzzle need summat... they are too white - it looks like the effect with flash where bits are "blown out" because they are over-exposed...

but - really - I could paint for 20yrs and produce nowt better than that...

[Worthy4England]

I'm spent the last couple of weeks working up to launching myself onto a second painting. I took all the lessons on board from the first and stupidly then tried to tackle an even harder subject - a live dog.
Anyway after making all the initial sketches and messing about with colours I abandoned the painting for three reasons.
Firstly and most importantly at the time: the paper was wrong - it was very rough, and although I've since discovered that's how most water colour artists prefer their paper, for me it's the wrong medium. I need smoother grade paper.
Secondly: my colours were muddy. I don't know how I managed to keep my colours crisp in the Barley Mow painting, because I hadn't realised you can't just keep washing your brush in a jar of water. You must clean your brush in fresh water for each palette... I know this now.
Thirdly, and most importantly in hindsight: I got the perspective wrong. I was looking down on the dog and therefore my eyeline was boring into the sofa and down to floor level. The painting was intended to be framed and hung at eye level and viewed from four to six feet away and the perspective was wrong.

So I chucked it out

It looked like this when I kicked it into touch (as you can see, not too much work thrown away).

"My dog's got no nose"

"How does it smell...?"

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Does it pass the Pencilbiter's maudlin/sentimentality test? I think so.

It certainly does.

That's fantastic - really well done.

I think by discussing the saccharine sentimentality trap in advance we set a challenge that you have definitely risen to!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

not meaning anything like faint praise - pretty good effort for a live subject and your second attempt! seriously!!

I'm no painter - but clearly the big white expanses of neck and muzzle need summat... they are too white - it looks like the effect with flash where bits are "blown out" because they are over-exposed...

but - really - I could paint for 20yrs and produce nowt better than that...

Ta. Without trying to claim too much praise, but the white bits aren't quite as white as the scanned image shows. I don't know how to get the settings on the scanner to show it properly, it either looks all washed out or like that. I've got some subtle bluey hairs and shadows going on in the white areas which are unfortunately invisible on the screen. But, still, I need to work on a better balance between the white and black tones.

Does it pass the Pencilbiter's maudlin/sentimentality test? I think so.

It certainly does.

That's fantastic - really well done.

I think by discussing the saccharine sentimentality trap in advance we set a challenge that you have definitely risen to!

Thanks again. To be honest, the burning desire throughout this challenge was to pass the PB Saccharine Test - I reckon it should be part of the art national curriculum.

[thebish]

not meaning anything like faint praise - pretty good effort for a live subject and your second attempt! seriously!!

I'm no painter - but clearly the big white expanses of neck and muzzle need summat... they are too white - it looks like the effect with flash where bits are "blown out" because they are over-exposed...

but - really - I could paint for 20yrs and produce nowt better than that...

Ta. Without trying to claim too much praise, but the white bits aren't quite as white as the scanned image shows. I don't know how to get the settings on the scanner to show it properly, it either looks all washed out or like that. I've got some subtle bluey hairs and shadows going on in the white areas which are unfortunately invisible on the screen. But, still, I need to work on a better balance between the white and black tones.

ahhh - that explains it - a scanner IS basically a big moving flash - so of course the highlights are blown out!

photographing art is a very tricky matter...

[TANGODANCER]

Well done Spotski. That's great stuff. You caught the dog totally relaxed and got on paper what you wanted to paint. Nice effort. I'm finding it really hard to show watercolours on here, mainly because my very basic Sony Cybershot needs flash to photograph things indoors and the results aren't always true. I'm betting your painting is even better in reality than the pic shows? I hope you're going to carry on now and paint other things. Right now I'm painting a stone carving believe it or not. Why, no idea, cos I want to I suppose..

ps..something you might try: Save the pics in My pictures then click on the one you want and use the autofocus button in Microsoft Office Picturemanager. Might work on showing up detail in that white area that you know is there.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Well done Spotski. That's great stuff. You caught the dog totally relaxed and got on paper what you wanted to paint. Nice effort. I'm finding it really hard to show watercolours on here, mainly because my very basic Sony Cybershot needs flash to photograph things indoors and the results aren't always true. I'm betting your painting is even better in reality than the pic shows? I hope you're going to carry on now and paint other things. Right now I'm painting a stone carving believe it or not. Why, no idea, cos I want to I suppose..

ps..something you might try: Save the pics in My pictures then click on the one you want and use the autofocus button in Microsoft Office Picturemanager. Might work on showing up detail in that white area that you know is there.

Yeh, I'm definitely going to carry on.
I think, as you probably know, that a painting needs to be viewed at an appropriate distance and height, which isn't the case when viewed on a computer. So we're just showing a bit of the essence of the painting. I think the detail is lost by the actual scanning process and doesn't show up with the method you suggested, but as I say it's the essence of what the picture is that counts for on here.

I don't know what to do next, I might choose a landscape though...

(PS you ever tried selling any of your work?)

[TANGODANCER]

Here's the gargoyle/carving I mentioned. It's on Haworth Parish Church. No idea who it is. It was just something that appealed. Fine example of the stone mason's art.

In answer to your question, no, I've never tried to sell my work. Only just took it up lately after many years absence.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I like that. Is that just watercolour or have you used pastels/charcoal/ink as well?

[TANGODANCER]

I like that. Is that just watercolour or have you used pastels/charcoal/ink as well?

It's just pure watercolour mate, but with a bit of "Turner" technique. I sketched it out lightly in pencil, built up the colours, let it dry and then sandpapered some areas to get that stone effect.