So it is not a SUNNY DAY.
Life can go on and you still can paint your landscape.
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| Fall Colours - Outdoor Sketching at Derby Reach |
Here on the West Coast of Canada, we get lots of overcast days - no defined clouds and often no real colour to the sky.
How can you make that an interesting painting????
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Further examples and discussion on my YouTube Video: Creating Lightly Coloured Skies
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Painting a strong, dramatic sky means bold colours that swirl and mix on the page. That is not the case for those soft, muted colours. When it comes to watercolour getting soft, muted colours can be a struggle. Somehow your mix can go from slightly coloured water to strong pigment and there doesn't seem to be anything in between.
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| First wet your paper - leave some dry areas |
Let's get started. . . .
First mix a watery puddle of the paint your want to use. If you want a bit of blue and gray, mix 2 puddles. Make them both watery.
Next wet your paper. This is the trickly part. Rather than just wet the whole paper, wet random places leaving about 30% dry in random spaces of random sizes in your sky area.
Make sure you have a wad of paper towels ready.
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| Drop in colour, letting it mingle and grab on some of the dry spots |
Now your ready to paint. Your brush should be wet enough for the paint to float a bit on the surface but not so wet that you have puddles on the paper. In loose light strokes paint your sky area. Becareful to not drag you brush, let the paint have room to move around a bit. Let it catch on the dry spots creating a slight hard edge.
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| Quickly dab and wipe with paper towel to keep edges soft but save a few hard edges |
Don't forget to use both of your colours if you have two. The colours should be placed beside each other rather than on top of each other. Let them mingle a bit but also act along.
Don't fiddle. Let things dry. Sit Back and Evaluate.
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| Drop in your second colour or more of your first |
You can do this process 2 or 3 times. It is crucial that you let each layer dry completely before repeating it. It is also really important to move your brush lightly across the paper with your paint. Working too slowly or brushing alot will wet the pigment below and cause it to mix with the new layer. This can create mud and also thick darker colours. You lose your light airy look.
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| Be mindful how your coloured areas work with your subject. |
For success, being ready to dab, maybe even scrub the surface is important. So is controling your water. (The constant struggle with watercolour) Too much water and your pigment floats away. Too little water and your paper grabs the pigment and things become too dark. Finally, keep an eye on the big picture, rather than just one corner. Wonderful things can be happening and you miss them because you are focused on one spot.
Have fun with your skys!
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Further examples and discussion on my YouTube Video: Creating Lightly Coloured Skies
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Looking forward to sharing this event with you!!Original work, Commissions, Private Drawing Lessons, Prints and Cards of her Work,
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Have a great Artful Day,
Wendy
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