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Boy on beach WIP

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IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Posted
I'm looking for some tips on painting a pebble beach... (acrylic paint) This is the initial sketch (40x30cm)

Sylvia Evans

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Gosh with your drawing skills Helen I wouldn’t think you would need any tips ! Though he looks a tad cross.  Little shapes getting bigger… pebble coloured.  Sorry that’s it ! 🌻

Edited
by Sylvia Evans

IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Yes he does - he's having a strop as he doesn't want to go in the sea!

Alan Bickley

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Posted
Definitely not in detail! Blocks of colour laid in with with a filbert. Slightly more hard edged and darker shapes towards the near foreground. The figure is your main focus, don’t detract from that…

Russell Edwards

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Posted
Can only agree with Alan, I did a painting a while back with a similar theme and had real difficulty with how to paint the pebbles, so suggestion rather than detail I think is the solution.
IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Thank you Alan and Russell, I'll give it a go. I've never painted sand / pebbly beach before so it's a first - and will probably then go on my 'list of things I don't like to paint', (along with trees, and blades of grass) 😂 The picture is dense pebbles behind the boy, then more sandy where he is sitting with bits of pebbles here and there.

Edited
by Helen Martell

Alan Bickley

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I would block in a base colour of say raw sienna+burnt umber nearer the front/middle  but use a more grey mix further back -  work over or into this ground/base colour.

Edited
by Alan Bickley

Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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Posted
I think sand is a lot easier than pebbles.  Simples!
IMG_1657

Ron Goodwin

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Posted
I’ve done a pebble beach, before, in watercolour using successive layers of “sprinkled” masking fluid followed by a wash of colour. Not sure if it would translate across to acrylics. If you’re intent on trying something then maybe a few experiments on another surface may help you decide. 
IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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I've had a go.... I think I've overdone it a bit!  the far away area needs to be lighter so I might use a glaze to lighten and blur it a bit it. And the greeny yellow is a bit too much. L

Alan Bickley

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That’s a good start Helen! You can’t really tell if it’s too light or dark until you’ve dropped the figure in. Colour and tone is relative to what they sit next to as you know! I’d probably make the furthest point of the beach a bit more on the neutral grey side. Needs a darker shadow area around the figure so he’s not floating! I know this is only your initial early stages.

Edited
by Alan Bickley

IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Here we are thus far.... I can't put my finger on what's not quite right, but something needs changing. Mybe the upper half pebbles (background, below the beach huts). I've struggled with his hands too. And the skin on his legs and arms. There is a sheen on the photo left hand top, not on the painting

Edited
by Helen Martell

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