Alan's Challenge

The palette and use of textures are really appealing in this. I particularly like the trees and the vegetation on the left off-setting the houses, which aren't half bad! the barn type building at the bottom is gorgeous; sky wash - great. I look forward to more of these!

Superb, Fiona. The sky is great and I love that tree on the right behind the buildings. Overall, it's a lovely palette. Great fence, too! I know what you mean about the broken lines; they look fine and add to the texture. Each time I look at this picture I find something new to admire. x

This is so nice Fiona. I like the perspective and muted colours. Great start to 2014!

great show Fiona ,, using a higher eye line and higher left side has come off very well lets have some more.

So simply stated - with a good palette that works so well.

A very confident painting Fiona, love the colours, especially the sky!

Gudrun thank you for your comment, I really wasn't sure about the palette, I don't usually use P. grey very much but thought it might look okay with B. sienna.....especially in the sky. The vegitation on the left was mainly a mix of P grey, R. sienna and B. umber in various washes.

Lionel, thank you. You don't think it's too grey??!!! Thanks Frank, really appreciate your comment, glad you like it. What next Alan? Nothing too complicated hopefully.

Many thanks Michael, Carole your comments will make me consider using the same palette again.

The limited pallete works well to create the feeling of a dull winters' day, so not too grey. I like the sense of recession with the suggestion of the central tree.

A change in style for you Fiona but it's good to try different approaches. I don't use grey very much myself, preferring blue but here it does work. keep on experimenting!

Many thanks Helen, Philip and Stephen, much appreciated.

Absolutely gorgeous, Fiona! I LOVE the line and wash and the colors are just stunning. Very very well done indeed!

Thank you Seok, you've made my day!

Nice one Fiona! The pen work enhances the painting very nicely indeed!

I like it Fiona, enough detail to be convincing and yet nice and loose. I like the sky and wintry trees too

Thank you ladies, glad you like it!

I love this line and wash Fiona. The colours, the perspective and the way you've drawn/painted the cottages, all superb.

Thank you Val, I've been putting off doing buildings for a long time, it's a start.

Thanks Fiona for your comments on my version of the above. The YouTube that I watched was of Alan painting a picture of what seemed to me to be mainly sky - and that is what I wanted. I didn't mean to suggest that it was of the above. Sorry for the confusion.

Fiona you are far too modest - this is a great painting and your others are impressive as well!

Thank you for the info Lionel, I had searched through all Alan's video's again looking for it! Not a problem though, as I love watching him paint.

Hi Anthony, thank you very much for taking the time to comment on my work.

This is really lovely, Fiona. the sky, trees and the lane are magnificent. The houses are nicely placed to lead the eye into the painting and I like the touch of cobalt in the roof of the middle one. The only thing I might say (although I don't know much about it) is that I might have used a slightly thinner pen on the white house to show that it was further away in the scene. I always have this dilemma when I am doing a pen and wash as I find that if I use the same intensity of pen through, regardless of where things are placed, it can work against one in terms of perspective. I should see what Alan has to say about this as he is the expert and I am the novice.

Thanks Thea. I see your point regarding the thickness of pen effecting perspective, I hadn't really thought about it. For this pen & wash I used a twig and a sharpened 'cook's' match stick, we could start a whole new trend in medium headings; your P&P and my, T&W. Thanks again.

Ah - I see Fiona. That makes it trickier to vary the thickness of the lines. I am surprised at your skill in being able to do fainter lines like the ones depicting the wire between the fence posts with your chosen tools. I was assuming you were using pens. I use from a 0.1 pen to a 0.5, but mostly a 0.1. I used a matchstick once after watching a John Hoar DVD and just made a terrible mess I'm afraid - so it was back to the pens. I didn't say in my previous comment that the bit that really caught my attention was the way you had done the actual lane itself with the grasses on either side, tree and fence - thought is was awesome and is usually just a supporting part of a painting, with the houses taking centre stage, but for me, that section really stood out.

I do use pens sometimes Thea, but they have non-waterproof ink cartridges in them. When using waterproof Indian ink I just dip anything that comes to hand in the jar and hope for the best. It's surprising how fine a point you can get when you sharpen a match stick.......best if you use the extra long ones though, so you still have something to hold on to. Lol. Thank you for your response Thea.

Have explored all your galleries today and your pen and wash studies may be influenced by Wesson but you have developed your own most attractive style.

Alan, thank you very much, not only for taking the time to look through my galleries but also for the comment you have left. I love Wesson's work and I know I will never come near to creating anything as accomplished but if I can just take a little slice of his magic.......I would be most haappy. Thanks again.

Wow Fiona, look at you with 30 comments, no surprise tho this is an absolute gem, what super colours in your pen and wash

Ros, thanks very much, yes it seems to be a popular painting this one. I must say I did enjoy doing it very much......it's my sort of 'rough & ready' work!

This is so attractive - the palette and the pen and ink. Do you add the pen and ink after the colour? ( I do). Challenges seem to be the order of the day, I'm trying to loosen up too but it's hard. I love your Windermere painting too, it's worked very well and the eye travels round it. Good foreground, one of the main problems for me in a landscape (probably why I don't do many! ) Let's keep on with those challenges, they're working!

Hi Marjorie, I usually do the majority of the pen/matchstick work first, then apply the washes. When the washes are dry I usually go over certain areas with more pen work to add the last few flourishes! Good luck with your challenge and yes I understand about filling the foreground in a landscape painting......I have the same problem. Thank you for commenting marjorie, much appreciated.

Must have missed this one, I agree great colors, I prefer paintings in browns and greys but find them nearly impossible to make or paint with them.

Thanks Kevin! I sometimes would like to paint with bright clear colours but I must admit a love the muted earthy tones.

Do you find the Rough paper lends itself to this sort of painting and pen work, Fiona? I like the effect it seems to give. I liked the little dabs of primary colours on the two roofs as well - just been watching one of my James Fletcher Watson dvd's where he says he always likes to pop a little touch or two of primary colour into his shadows.

Hi Caroline, Jackson's rough is a fairly good paper to do pen & wash on, only if you don't want smooth, straight flat line work. I don't mind the surface for pen work as I prefer it uneven and scruffy to be honest. It hides the lack of my drawing skills. It's also very reasonable in price and it's in block form so you can throw it under your arm when you go out to paint etc and it stays rigid. It gives a good textured effect too when you do sweeps of ink work (ie. when you use a broad piece of stick to do a thicker line) rather than line work. Thank you.

Just checked back in and found your helpful reply, Fiona. I'll get some to try (it's about the only thing I don't have in the art shop that is my bedroom). You have come on so much in the past few months. Very well done, all that practice is paying off!

Hi Caroline, no problem, if you would like me to send you a couple of sheets to 'try before you buy' let me know.

I like this and ... all your gallery.

I love these pen and wash in these colours, I must do better with my pen and wash before submitting

Really lovely pen and wash Fiona.

Many thanks Michelle, Jenny and Michael......much appreciated.

You are class Fiona

I don't know about that Dennis but thank you very much for saying so.

This is just beautiful Fiona.

ANOTHER LOVELY ONE FIONA I LIKE THIS STYLE

Thank you Dennis, you are very kind.

Just seen this one Fiona. It's a cracker and I love everything about it.

Thank you very much Jennifer, why don't you have a go at it....go mad with the pen!!Lol.

This has got to be really good - I've never before seen comments run to six pages!! And, of course, it really is good. love the palette and the sky is just right. It's a lovely scene, Fiona. Well done. As for me, I've just chucked my latest effort in the bin. But I have been asked to paint someone's house from a photograph - so that should keep me busy for a while. Thanks for your kind comments on my "Evening Drinks" scene.

Lionel, that's very kind of you to say so......but I think you have already posted a comment on this one. I have a few of the ones headed for the bin!! That's very exciting to have a commission, do you know how you are going to proceed? I was really sorry to hear about the Spanish deal falling through.....that's a pity. I like the style of your 'Evening drinks' painting Lionel. Keep at it, you'll get there!

This is really lovely pen and wash, Fiona. You are very good at this, too!

Every one is a practise for the next one Jennifer, thank you very much. I've seen your pen & wash paintings, they are very good too, you should do more.

I really like this style . Super colour combinations and lovely wet in wet..

Thank you Diana for your comment.

As ever great composition the lost and found lines work well, limited colours perfect <br />David Harrison

I love paintings that make you want to step into them and find out what is around the corner just out of sight. Really like the harmonious colours.

Many thanks David and Janet for your kind comments.

I particularly like the palette in this one Fiona. Beautiful sky too Diana

Lovely fresh piece. I love the sky and shadows and the muted colours - but the touch of red adds warmth.

I agree. The palette of colours works so well. I especially like the sky, and how've painted the foliage on the tree on the left.

Thank you very much Diana, Jackie and Joanne for your very kind comments.

I just LOVE this, Fiona!

Thanks Heather!!

I like this very much, love the colours and the I think is fantastic. A big thumbs up from me.

Thanks very much Paul....this is a really old one, you should have a medal for trawling through the gallery to this one! lol

Love the limited colour palette - thanks for details of what you used.

I like this, your perspective is excellent is the composition. The cloudy sky works well and you shadows are great. The pen and water color wash really work well together. This would make a nice greeting card, it has a lot of interest and a nice pallet.

I really like the limited palette you have used on this Fiona, Pen and wash is a lovely medium and one I hope to master myself. I love the shadows, the pen work, I even feel I want to have a look around the corner, brilliant. Thank you for sharing it.

Fiona, Paul and Charles thank you for you lovely comments. Charles this is my favourite medium to use, you will have fun with it I’m sure.

Gorgeous, Fiona!!

Jennifer I’m sure you’ve posted on this before.....but thank you again!

Well done Fiona. Pen and wash at its best. And I like the warm/cool roof. The Jackson Rough looks an interesting paper. I think for. my next pen and wash I will use a swordliner with dark watercolour as in John Hoar. Less control so looser.

Alan thank you very much. Like yourself I love doing pen and wash. .....not the tight lined and coloured in kind. The loose, almost unrefined kind , that’s the kind I like to do and see.. I look forward to seeing your experiments with the sword liner.