LOOK! - over there.

This is the last of my entries for the UKCPS exhibition. Slightly more detailed than the previous two done in this style. I need to keep a grip on my obsession with detail otherwise it gets out of hand.

Size: About A4

Support: Fabrianno Artistico HP (as usual)

Media: Watercolour and salt, Faber Castel Polychromo pencils.

Laying Up

Another one using a loose watercolour wash for the background, just to suggest his environment, the detail is in the leopard. I am enjoying doing these as I can finish them within the day. I was beginning to find coloured pencil getting very tedious after doing two large and complicated ones for the UKCPS exhibition so these make a nice change. I will, of course, continue with the detailed pure cp paintings when I have had a rest.

Size: 16" x 11"
Support: Fabrianno Clasico HP paper
Media: Watercolour paints, Faber Castell Polychromos.

Time Out

A quick one, for me. It took me about 5 hours and was a new experience, I was trying to work in a looser style and started out with an abstract in mind, but as usual my love of realism got in the way. But I am happy with how it has turned out.

Size: 18" x 6"

Support: Fabrianno Clasico HP

Medium: Watercolour paint, Faber Castel Polychromos coloured pencils and Derwent water soluble cp.

Summer's Faded Beauty

Here is something I have been working on for a long time now. It is of a bloom from the Hydrangea bush in my garden. The photo was taken at the end of last summer when the flowers were past their best. I love the look of the blooms when the colour begins to fade to pale pinks, lilacs and the palest of greens and creams.

Size: 16"x12"

Medium: Karisma pencils with a dark indigo Polychromo pencil used in the shadows.

Support: Fabrianno Artistico HP 300gsm

Doberman in Pastels

This is my latest commission, a beautiful rescue Doberman called Megan.

I have used Fisher 400 sanded paper as the support. For the background I used Ashby soft pastel sticks in blues greys and black. For the dog  I used a mixture of Derwent and Faber Castell Pit pastel pencils. My darkest dark was Derwent Dark Indigo (not black), and the highlights were done using Derwent light indigo with Pitt violet and white, with various yellows ochres and browns for the tan areas on her face and her eye.

First stage: After roughly completing the background I then start to block in the largest area of darks and to introduce some violet and lighter blue to the highlights.

Stage 2: I have completed the eye and the nose and have finished roughly blocking in the under-layers of all the colours.

Stage 3: I have finished the face and working my way down the body, filling in details and working on bringing the highlights to life. I am still using the same colours. Finally completing the whole dog and tweaking any areas that need definition and last of all adding the whiskers.

The finished painting.

Birds, birds and more birds.

I am currently working on a couple of identification boards to go in a bird hide, one for summer birds and one for winter birds.

I will be doing a large background illustration of the lake and surround together with all the birds to be seen there. I have started on the winter birds and here are the first three, 18 more to go for this board.

I am using watercolours, mainly for speed. They are not large, measuring about 5" at the widest, but will be reduced down a little once I drop them into the main illustration. Good ole Photoshop, makes the job much easier. 

 Black headed gull

 Cettis warbler

Dunlin

Love This!

Lene from A ZOO has kindly given me permission to use her idea for 'LOVE THIS' Thanks Lene.

I think it is a great idea of hers, as the internet is full of fantastic art and creative people, so occasionally I will share with you, blogs or art  that I find really inspiring. Because of copyright issues I will be only putting a link to the image or blog.

This one is the first. http://brush-paper-water.blogspot.com/  I am linking to the whole blog as I just cant decide which of all the amazing watercolour paintings I like the best. They are by different artists and make me want to get out my watercolour and brushes and give it another go. Enjoy!