St Raphael, France, 15" x 11".
A scene I probably would not contemplate painting had it not been for the shadows coming across the street offering some contrast. Light from behind, just going down the street would have been impossible. I also brought in a couple of figures in the centre to add a focal point. I think maybe the roof tops are a little too red, but they were quite bright as I can recall.
Cherbourg, 15" x 11"
The 'Quai Caligny' running alongside the Harbour in central Cherbourg. There's a few ways of doing misty hills or low lying cloud - I went with the shortcut way. After an underlying wash was allowed to dry (fairly light), I put in a few random areas of clear water where the ridge of the hills are. Then I painted in the sky with a darker tone of mainly yellow ochre allowing it to bleed into the damp areas. Quickly after that, I continued with the background hills, allowing it too to merge in with those damp spots. Fingers crossed, you end up with a passable impression of some mist and clouds.
Gare de Lille, 15" x 11".
The main railway station in Lille, with the facade on the left and some very active fountains at the entrance of the building. I think this is my first attempt at fountains and decided to go with a heavy contrast against the background buildings. All made easier because the fountains were quite solid and not little dainty things. A little cobalt turquoise was added to the fountains to give it a bit of body and help with feeling of clear water. The block paving pavement had these nice rectangular patterns which hopefully aids the composition and leads your eye into the picture.
St Tropez, 22" x 15".
A larger half imperial painting of a similar scene I did a while back. This picture is currently being exhibited at my local art society exhibition at Yate Heritage Centre together with other members' works. I can remember trying to resist putting too much detail on the right hand side - loads of boats there and fiddly details to avoid. It was a very dark and gloomy day, but warmed up with the red tones of the buildings.
Marseille, 15" x 11".
A fairly loose and quick sketch of a tree-lined square near the port area in Marseille. Apart from waiting for the initial wash to dry, the whole picture was down all in one. The roof tops went in first, then the front of the building. This was merged into the left hand trees and the lower shadows. Chimney shadows and figures were last to go in. The foreground man had a bit of water dropped into the right leg and allowed to take it's path down the sloping paper.
Rue Henri Seillon, St Tropez, 15" x 11"
This is a location right next to the marina and looking up to the Hermes Shop in the centre. This little square here is a popular outdoor cafe which I have 'removed' from the composition for simplification. I took a bit more time than I usually do with the sky to get in some soft clouds, plus getting some definition on those shop blinds on the left. Hopefully a feeling of a nice sunny afternoon.
Watercolour of St Tropez, 15" x 22" on Saunders Waterford Rough 300 gms.
My second painting of this 'off the beaten track' beach in St Tropez, this time with the light behind me. Success with a watercolour is far more likely I think with the light coming towards you or from the side. Here I think I can almost get away with it by having 1) medium tone background 2) figures in lighter tone and 3) dark shadows below figures - not too much.
Watercolour of Marseilles, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough 300 gms.
A wide boulevard near the port area in Marseilles. The plain office block being a similar tone to the sky at the time, needed some shadows to add a bit of depth and I had to paint over the sky twice owing to it being too light first time round. I normally try to avoid going over the sky twice - there's always the danger of loosing that 'fresh' feel and I had the added challenge of the building almost cutting the sky in two making it more difficult to lay down a single wash. Plus I'm a bit impatient when it comes to skies - for me it's sometimes the least important part of the composition. Windows got a fairly swift treatment also - just dabs with thicker pigment.
Watercolour of St. Raphael, France, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough 300 gms.
A Railway Bridge in central St Raphael, a coastal town in southern France. Looking through the bridge I tried to resit overdoing the background buildings (apartment blocks I think), and also try to connect all the main components of the picture so nothing is left out on it's own. Pavements and roads are often made out of different materials of course and I often find pavements to be 'warm' and roads a cooler tone, so a bit of blue. Here, pavement and road were done in one go and left to merge into each other.
Watercolour of St Tropez, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough 300 gms.
A 'backstreet' scene in St Tropex, France. Up ahead the road forks into two narrow streets. The buildings here have lovely warm tones - plenty of light red and burnt sienna to replicate them. There's two sides to Saunders paper. This one, I've painted on the 'wire' side where you have regular indentations made by the wire grill that help made the paper. However, I'm starting to prefer the 'other side'....
Recent Comments