September 22, 2016

Autumn touch

Watercolor on Canson Moulin du Roy 30x40
Green fern leaves and a plastic film was used to create texture in the front. This is quite an exciting technique, as you will never know, how the pigment will sink into the paper. I used ultramarine, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow, burnt sienna, and burnt umber. The last color was a risky choice, my last three attempts with same palette were not successful - got a lot of muddy spots. This time mud was avoided by putting burnt umber directly on ultramarine, trying to avoid mixing with yellow colors. As I think of what I would do differently having a second chance to this painting - probably would make the distant trees lighter, colors less intense to create more expressed perspective.

September 13, 2016

Autumn forest

Watercolor on Canson Moulin du Roy

Recently I found out that watercolor paper moistened from both sides does dry so fast, remains smooth and does not create ripples. In this painting I used masking fluid, wet on wet technique, and a touch of white gouache for birch trunks.






April 21, 2016

Crane

Watercolor on Arches





This painting was inspired by one of my hiking trips, during which we went out into the wild, to listen to the returning cranes bringing back to our land the spring. Imagine after all day clamping throught the damp moss, you finally get to the swamp... you hear nothing, just the silence and your beating heart. It seems the time has stopped and you could stand there for eternity, breathing and listening.. then the sound of huge flapping wings and a scream penetrating every cell of your body awakens you... awakens you for real, to live, to want, to enjoy life and to go on.
Have you ever heard a crane scream? It is something you can hardly forget, highly recommend :)

April 18, 2016

Misty

Watercolor on Arches

This is another painting following forest theme. It was a rainy, fogy day when I took the reference photo. All atmosphere was penetrated with blues, only humps of different kind of moss were glowing back showing their bright colors.