Masking

So, I think as I mentioned in my last post I've started working through a book I bought called Painting with Watercolours, Oils, Acrylics and Gouache by Wendy Jelbert and Ian Sidaway. I'm still very much into the early stages of the watercolours section. My most exciting purchases to date have been a mop brush and masking fluid. The mop brush cost a bit but makes me happy so it's worth it. The painting above was a quick exercise I did that they have in the book, using the photo of the vase they've published and masking fluid for the pattern. Sometimes I feel that I am painting a bit like paint by numbers but I know me well enough to know that I tend to learn best by example so it's good for me. I like that the top left hand of the picture captures a bit of Tague's 3D buildings, a kid that drew in my sketch book, together with his sister, one day when I was sketching at the Crags.

 

There was another exercise about painting a turnip and a pear. So, knowing my luck that day at the supermarket, they didn't have a whole turnip but only half. I actually ended up appreciating the half better, because it stood as some kind of sentinel over the pear. I am also finding it pretty interesting watching how quickly it shrivels in comparison to the pear. A strong timeless turnip becomes a withered crinkly one. The shadows and washes are not the best. I'm still finding it quite difficult to mix the right volume of the wash first up, and get the water to pigment consistency right. Next up are resists and oranges - I love the colour orange!