Experimenting with Colours and Techniques

A new enthusiasm and energy has taken hold recently with regards art making. There seems to have been a shift in my vision and a freer approach is emerging... I have been experimenting with new colours and foregoing detail in completed work in favour of expressive mark making. This is exciting!

I spent one afternoon playing with some new watercolour paints...

Winsor & Newton watercolours - Transparent Orange
and Sapphire Blue

Daniel Smith watercolours and W&N Cerulean Blue plus Sapphire Blue again.
Bottom half of painting had some cellophane draped over while paint was still wet,
and then left to dry. 

Winsor & Newton Gold calligraphy ink
(fortunately lightfast - beware, not all calligraphy colours are) with
Daniel Smith Undersea Green and Violet gouache.

Tricky to photograph so the gold shimmer
is apparent!

The potential of the new Daniel Smith colours is very inspiring as they granulate readily and the colours separate out into their component parts.

I have also been studying a new book by Debora Stewart and her techniques for abstracted art echo what I have been moving towards. The untitled (as yet) work shown in the stages below is a step in the right direction with a loose beginning, and I tried to keep the drawing spontaneous rather than laboured and exact.

1.  Compressed charcoal was stroked energetically
across mid grey Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper.
Water was swished over this with a large flat brush
in multi-directions. As the work was upright on an easel
drips were encouraged to flow down the paper. You can see where I then
started the line drawing in white pastel pencil. 

2.  Once the basic composition was in place I began to
introduce some of the lightest / darkest tones and established
the insect as the focal point.   

3.  More light areas are built up with white pastel pencil and
a few more hints of ochre placed.

 

4.  The stamens of the top bloom are now in place.

5. Finally the stamens on the primary bloom are suggested
and the brightest sunlit areas are strengthened with touches of
a white Unison pastel stick. 

This drawing was very enjoyable to do and three elements helped to keep it fresh and loose. First, I stood at an easel to work which aids larger arm movements; the initial layer of large sweeping marks contained an innate liveliness and lastly I held the pastel pencils well away from the point, so relinquishing some control. Also, the limited palette works to keep the focus on the insect and small touches of ochre elsewhere lead the eye around the composition.   

Today has surely been one of the hottest so far... and I spent most of the afternoon and early evening in the studio. I would normally wear an apron when working with pastels as they are one of the messier mediums but couldn't bear the thought of an additional layer and didn't bother. Using a photo I took in Holme-next-the-Sea of pink Mallow as a starting point, I worked on a painting that focused on mark making and layering to try and capture the essence. 

A loose wet-on-dry application of watercolour

was the starting point for this painting. The base colours were encouraged to fuse and again drips were integral as I was stood at the easel.

Although the support looks white in the photo it is a warm cream Art Spectrum Colourfix paper. The slightly gritty surface happily accepts watermedia and there is plenty of tooth for soft pastel in subsequent layers. 

                 

Once the initial paint was dry a very loose drawing in charcoal pencil was 

established. Again holding the pencil nearer the end furthest from the point helped prevent 

a tight rendition. Also pushing up, rather than pulling in a downward motion, and gently rolling the 

pencil between the fingers as drawing enabled more random marks to be made.

The next step seems counter productive, but I did it anyway, and 'lost' the drawing

by dragging a flat brush with diluted gesso across the surface in multi-directional strokes. 

This is a technique favoured by Debora Stewart but with hindsight I realised she uses 

compressed charcoal so a little more of the drawing remains intact! 

The drawing is then re-established with charcoal pencil and even if more of the first drawing 

had been present this second one would have been superimposed, and slightly offset, to 

enhance the feeling of layered media. My eyes are really enjoying what is beginning to happen in this work and I'm almost tempted to stop at this stage.

I push on however and introduce more colour using soft pastel sticks. 

I limit the colours and tonal range to try and avoid confusion. 

When I pause to assess how the work is going I feel a little disappointed. Close up there is plenty to engage the eye but move a short distance away and it blurs into a generalised mid tone.

Something must be done to redeem it...

 Taking yet another risk, I lightly block in the negative spaces in the top two thirds of the painting. 

I use a white pastel pencil and hold it low so that the side of the point catches across the gritty surface and allows the under layer to still play a part. 

I finally stop and take stock again. After a few extra dark punctuations 

with the charcoal pencil I feel it is finished. 

Did I make the right choice?

Too early to tell. I need a bit of time to pass to assess it as a whole again.

What do you think?