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The Old Boat
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Message
Posted
Ok, so I have made a start and so far have completed the successive layers of masking fluid and washes. If I’m honest I’m not sure its been that successful. I found it really tricky to keep the spattering clear of the boat, although I used paper masks and tape. I think the pebbles have started to look muddy. I may call this an experiment and try another version with different colours. The reference photo is predominantly greys so I introduced some cad red and crimson to the grey mixes to give a purple hue to the piece. Comments please lovely people,
do I continue or try again?
do I continue or try again?
Posted
Once you start to add different colour pebbles it could lighten it up . It too good to abandon, don’t replicate the photo colours add some interest with purples , blue grey etc. I made the mistake of try to copy a tree to much , it spoilt the painting, I should have known better but we all fall into a trap at times. I don’t use masking fluid , I just paint the pebbles and go for different shapes and sizes.
Edited
by Paul (Dixie) Dean
Posted
Frankly Hilary, I’d ditch the masking fluid in future, it’s horrible stuff and ruins all brushes.
This isn’t looking too bad actually, warm the beach up a bit near the tide line with some ochres etc.
And don’t worry about a few splashes getting on the boat, that will actually help as you don’t want a freshly painted boat do you? It should look rugged and worn, not unlike myself!
Finally, two things here, but as Paul has already touched on, don’t slavishly copy any photo, use them for inspiration only.
And don’t be afraid to use white gouache for your highlights - it was good enough for Turner... I rest my case.
Posted
I loathe masking fluid - the late Terry Harrison used it in most of his videos - possibly all of his watercolour videos - and I think that's why I first tried it, because I wasn't at the time a painter in watercolour at all. And Terry - you were a lovely man, but I've never forgiven you. You've got to REALLY know what you're doing to make masking fluid anything other than a trial and a pain.
If I were you, I'd mask off the top part of the painting (with a piece of paper, not foul fluid) and try a bit of judicious spattering with dark paint, which you could shape subsequently with the brush or knife (Terry, again, used an old credit card to scratch out his lighter tones; others use a razor blade [which I did, until the inevitable happened], and I use either a pen-knife, or a fingernail.
Turner did indeed use body colour, gouache, when it suited him: and it's said he grew one finger-nail long, to scribe into his work! You might not want to do this....... but when I'm about to embark on a water-colouring binge, I do allow my thumbnail to grow; snag is, you get paint under it, which tends to look pretty awful..... but still: nothing new about suffering for one's art!
Posted
In the defence of masking fluid , I often use it because it allows you paint in broad sweeps without worrying edges. The reserved areas to my mind, are more natural especially in light areas and can be softened. I alway use shapers to put the fluid on as it never sticks also a pen with a metal nib for fine lines. Because a shaper is flexible, you can spatter the pebbles with random shapes and sizes. As Paul says the pebbles need to be different shades and hues. Hope this is of some help but it's only my angle.
Posted
Paul, Alan, Robert and Steve I am so grateful for your expert guidance on this painting, thank you. I have tried some more spattering (no more masking fluid) with darker tones purples, blues and some browns/ochres. I think that my technique/skill level has been truly tested on this and I have learnt a big valuable lesson - don’t run before you can walk. I will finish this as I am keen to get the weathered wood effect on the boat. But I will also revisit this at a later time when I have gained more experience.
Posted
Its much better to test your self and gain a lot of experience and learning on the way take the easy way, and play safe all the time. We never stop learning and we all make mistakes from time to time fortunately they become less as we gain in experience, well that’s the plan anyway. It’s looking good with the changes you have made, and it will get better, the weathering of the boat should give a nice overall look. At the moment you focus on the pebbles, the boat will be the feature.
Edited
by Paul (Dixie) Dean