Painting with Annette at Lanchester Thursday group.

Although I have given up group demonstrations and workshops, I don't mind doing painting examples on a one to one basis with people who ask for assistance.

Today's subject was Raw Head Cottage in Great Langdale. After drawing the house we started on a overall wash from the sky to the foreground painting around the building. Cobalt blue greyed with a little light red was painted into the top of the sky then changing to naples yellow to the cottage then a thicker mixture of raw sienna to the base. Into this bottom wet wash some streaks of brown madder and ultramarine blue were added. Cling film was then stretched to the wet wash on the foreground with the top being pulled horizontal and more random marks at the bottom.

The lower slopes of  Langdale Pikes were painted free hand with no drawing using cobalt blue changing to raw sienna and finally light red up to the house. A mixture of ultra and burnt sienna added wet into wet above the roof line to indicate some bushes. The paintings were left to dry.

Annette painting

Annette's painting at the drying time

My painting.

I find that washes on bockingford tend to creep while drying so this is an ideal time to reinstate the lines of the cottage with damp 1/2 inch synthetic brush and the colour will easily lift back. 

The white shallow under the eaves, windows and shadow side of the building were cobalt blue and a touch of permanent magenta- stronger against the white and weaker towards the right.

The roofs were winsor blue and raw sienna to give a slate colour and the one darker on the left.

The dark windows were burnt sienna and ultramarine blotted with a tissue on the lower panes.

The trees were UMB and BS indicating the canopy with a flattened rigger dragged towards the centre and the main branches were painted in leaving the bottom a negative shape with the same wash creating a solid line at the tree then weakening the sides loosing the wash into the previous one. I find it easier to then turn the painting upside down and work the smaller branches to the canopy blotting the end with my finger if the line is too prominent at the end.

The bushes above the stone wall were painted with  mis-shaped child's brush which I used to give a random mark and some stones were indicated with a rigger.

Roughly a hour and half painting and Annette was very pleased with her result and she said she had learnt a lot. 

Annette's and my painting after the session.

 My painting taken with my Lumix camera

Notes

1 - All my colours in landscape painting are Winsor and Newton except naples yellow which is Daler Rowney- this gives a less intense yellow will be less greener than other brands when mixed with blue.

2 - Paper is 200 lb Bockingford not surface - quarter imperial 15x11 inches. This will go into a 20x16 inch frame with a 70 mm border on the mount and 80 mm at the base. The paper is held by framer tape on a piece of strong card at the top and bottom for stability while painting usually for just the main washes. 

I do not like Saunders or Arches paper as I find they dull the colour and are difficult to lift- the colours on Bockingford  seem to shine. The only problem I find is the colours tend to creep and flatten the tone- but I can live with this in favour of the luminosity.

3- Bushes No. 12 round for overall washes

                 No. 6 for hills

                 Rigger for everything else

                Mis-shaped child's brush for random marks

                No. 1 finger for blotting.

                1/2 inch synthetic brush for lifting out.

4- I paint on a towel to control the dampness of the brush.

5- I draw in my sketch book and enlarge a print a transfer to watercolour paper using graphite paper and crisp up the drawing up with 0.5mm clutch pencil. This eliminates the used of a rubber which can weaken the paper surface.

6- Two things I look for negative shapes and lose and found edges. As the lady from Tynemouth says- Cummin and gannin ( coming and going )

Sketch and reference photo-