The Challenge of Vert et Rouge (aka Alizarin & Viridian)

I like this colour combination Thea, also well drawn with the brush!

Thank you, Carole. I actually enjoy these challenges but the results aren't always to my taste. Still you learn something from thinking outside the box (although I hate that expression!).

Your drawing with the brush is really well done Thea. Can't say I really like the combination of colours, but as you say, a challenge is a challenge and these two certainly create some wonderful greys and darks. Had a go myself this afternoon, will post it in a minute. I played safe, and took something which would normally be green and crimson.

Well done Thea, I admire the fact that there is no pre-drawing (perhaps a future challenge? I agree that the colours are a bit 'in your face' but it is amazing how they can be toned down when they are mixed. I really like this painting.

I think this works really well and I usually steer away from viridian myself but this looks really effective

You are very kind Sharon, Christine and Nicola to find something to like in this very iffy painting - really generous of you. I probably should have softened the viridian and the alizarin in places, but I think I just rushed to finish it and get it off my easel, lol!

I love the fact that you've gone straight in with the brush, and for the first time. I'd normally never dream of doing that. Perhaps these "challenges" have a real benefit, as you say, in thinking outside of your normal (paint)box. I certainly feel totally freed up by the ideas. I normally take ages and ages over a painting (which is why I have hardly any "finished" works). For me, painting to date has been, variously; fascinating, compelling, frustrating, challenging and, (often enough) satisfying and rewarding. But never yet fun. Perhaps I should really go for the green one - with a subject that isn't green, and straight in with the brush. But tomorrow morning I might feel that sounds less like fun and more like terrifying!

Painting like this in such a direct way avoids all the tight details and the result, as it takes little time is so satisfying don't you think?. Pencil lines can be so inhibiting and I rarely use them. That's partly because a pencil drawing can take so long to do and then the fear of actually painting sets in in case I mess up! Bill says he spends ages over a painting so I do hope that he tries this and just paints without all the pre drawing. It's so interesting to see the results and different takes on a 'challenge' here. This is super work Thea. St Pauls I think? A lovely mix of colour on the actual dome, good darks and of course your trademark good splatters. The only thing is, the art shops will be running low on alizarin and viridian if this keeps up. Best stock up before they run out.. lol

Well, I now think that this idea should have been on the Forum - since it brings up loads of interesting ideas. For me: no pencil drawing - woo, woo scary! How will I make sure that the perspective is accurate?? With a pencil under-drawing, I can't possibly mess this up, provided that I've done a reasonable drawing of course, but I don't have to follow it slavishly, it's there just as a guide.But straight in with the brush - hugely scary! One chance, get it wrong (with watercolour at least) and it's gone.

Thank you very much Louise and Bill for your feedback and interesting comments. Louise, this painting goes a bit against the grain with me as I normally paint quite slowly and also draw my subject first, so painting quickly and without any pencil work was very different. I am not sure I can put my hand on my heart and say that I enjoyed just going in with the brush as I got a bit frustrated with shapes not turning out as I wanted them to (just my OCD perfectionist gene playing up). What I normally tend to do is draw the subject in pencil and then, just before I add paint, I take a rubber and swipe it all over the drawing to erase random lines. This way I blur the outlines of some of the shapes and can avoid just filling in between the lines. It is so interesting to learn how different artists work and it is also good to try different methods of working, so this has been a useful exercise even if I can't see me adopting it as a new way of my producing a painting. Bill, although I don't normally use the 'no pre-drawing' method, I do draw directly in pen with no pencil guidelines or anything like that. All my pen and wash work is done like that. I know some people draw in pencil first and then go over the lines in pen, but I have found that this interferes with the spontaneity of the work and you just have to be brave and bold about it and put the pen on the paper and go for it and live with the mistakes.

A quick thought, Thea. Might your dissatisfaction with the image be less to do with the colours (however dodgy), and more to do with the tones? Looking again at your St Pauls, it seems to me that the light is full-on, directly behind the observer. Flat . Is it the colours that cause a problem, or is it the lack of directional light, then shadow? I only raise this because I'm unwisely considering posting a totally green sketch on the Gallery.

Well you know me Bill - I have a tenuous relationship with tone at the best of times as I get so seduced by colour that I tend to forget to sort it out. I think the problems itch this painting, and the green one, is more that my heart will never be in using just two colours or even a limited palette. It takes all the fun out of painting for me as I just love colour. I find it hard to see the allure when artists say that they have just used three colours, etc. My first thought then is - but why, when there are so many delicious colours to be put next to each other. So you see - a colourist rather than a tonal painter.

Itch??? Read 'with'. Darned predictive text!!

A very interesting picture, Thea, showing good draughtsmanship. I, too, was going to comment on the tonal values that could be used to give more "roundness" to the dome - and then I discovered Page 2 and Bill Cook's remarks above! Anyway, smashing pic, well executed with unusual colouring.

I have to add to my comment about not using a pencil. For large paintings, I do roughly outline a few shapes to aid composition but never with a pencil. I don't actually have any pencils in my painting containers (ie mugs and old jam jars!). I only use pure graphite which seems to disappear when watercolour is added. I dislike erasers. They make a mess all over the paper's surface. I've watched painters struggle with a pencil drawing and then spend ages rubbing and scrubbing all the pencil lines out in frustration.

Very interesting comments Lionel and Louise. I have to say, rightly or wrongly, I am not hung up on tone. Have a look at Van Gogh's Sunflowers, all painted in the mid-tones, with not a lot of variation and certainly no obvious dark and light side, and no-one can say that it doesn't work. I am not saying tone isn't important, but I don't feel it has to be the defining issue with a painting. I am much more interested in colour and I do show cast shadows, etc where appropriate, but with a quick doodle like the painting above, I was more taken up with how to marry the two colours without making it look dire. The tutor I had when I was learning to paint in watercolour used to keep saying 'What is your lightest light and darkest dark' and this dominated how you were supposed to put a painting together. She criticised every painting of mine for not identifying the lightest light, etc and I admit to getting very frustrated as something in me said that this wasn't the most important thing in the paintings I wanted to produce - colour being so much more important to me. As for the pencil drawing, I use Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils, apparently reputed to be the best in the world. I found them quite by accident and love them. The are easy to rub out gently without affecting the surface of the paper. However, I actually like some pencil lines showing in my paintings as I feel they have been part part of the whole process and don't mind them being evident. What I don't want to do it leave all the lines in so that it becomes an exercise in just filling in with paint between the lines, hence the quick slash across the page with a putty rubber to soften and erase some lines. I think what makes art fascinating is that we all produce paintings, but the method by which we do this has infinite variety. What works for one, doesn't work for another but we all hopefully get near our goals in the end (well, in my case - only some of the time, lol!)

Wow, Thea, what a stunning result of the challenge. I just posted mine and if you look at all the other beautiful, different ideas and results about this challenge, I would say: more challenges please!!!

Absolutely not a failure, Thea. Given the unusual combination, you have done this more than justice. The tones, shapes and lines - all superb!

Dearest Thea, I'm so so sorry about the sudden death of your brother. Please accept my deepest sympathy and thank you for letting me know. Take care of yourself now, I'll be thinking of you and your family. Satu x

Thank you, Satu, you are very kind.