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Water line

Posted: June 29, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized |22 Comments

How much can you achieve with one wash of colour? In this ink and wash sketch, I wanted to convey the image of the pole, ladder and granite blocks that are pale at the top but dark and moss-covered at the bottom where the tide waters go up and down each day. I started with an ink drawing and then painted with a wash that was quite light at the top. As I painted downward I kept adding paint into the lower wet area— blue, green and rust all combined to give that mossy effect. When that initial wash dried, I painted the cast shadows and a bit more texture on the upper rocks. The little darks between the rocks were the final step. I suppose I could have painted it rock by rock but I wanted it to look like my sheet had been dipped in dark water — more like the pole and the ladder had been— and this seemed like more of an effective way to do it. Sketched in a Travelogue Watercolor Journal, 5″ x 8″.

PoleLadder

22 Comments on “Water line”

  1. rsorrells65 says:
    June 29, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    Shari, this DOES look like you dipped your paper into a wash! Good work 🙂 Also, wanting to thank you for your Craftsy class…it is AWESOME and I have already watched it through a few times! Would love to see more…

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  2. Suzanne Tractenberg says:
    June 29, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    FABULOUS!!!! Thanks so much! I will try it.

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  3. Nessa says:
    June 29, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    I love it. I am working to try to simplify my overly busy work and this is such a great example of keeping it simple yet getting precisely what you want to say done without overwhelming the painting. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. Martine says:
    June 29, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    I often skecth near the sea when I am in Brittany (France) and add a watercolour wash so your painting and explanations are just great ! Thank you !!

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  5. Lee Kline says:
    June 29, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    Always lovely work and great explanations of your methods.

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  6. Jane Hannah says:
    June 29, 2015 at 9:33 pm

    This is simple and gorgeous at the same time Shari — nice work -)))

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  7. prithiamarnath says:
    June 29, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    I have been following your blog for a long time and am a big fan of your work . I love your style, and have always wondered how your colours are so fresh . I would have loved to attend your workshops but living half way around the world in Bangalore, India , I didn’t think I would ever get a chance to do that . So I was thrilled when you announced your online class and enrolled immediately! It’s very well presented and now I understand how you get that fresh, clean paintings , thank you so much 🙂 I have no formal training in art andlook forward to learning good techniques from such workshops. hope to see more such classes from you soon
    Prithi

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  8. Alison says:
    June 30, 2015 at 8:50 am

    Extremely successful! And very instructive.

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  9. dennis pendleton says:
    June 30, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    We met in Denver and I continue to enjoy your blog. What kind of ink pins do you use?
    Dennis Pendleton

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  10. Ross says:
    June 30, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    I really like this… the graded wash works really well. I like the simple composition with so few elements. And I particularly like the elevational treatment.

    I think I used the word “elevational” previously and you seemed confused by it… that may be because I found that, when I referred to my dictionary, it is not actually a word… sometimes the English language is so limiting! Anyway, it should be a word… an adjective deriving from the word “elevation” which for an architect means “a drawing or design which represents an object or structure as being projected geometrically on a vertical plane which is parallel to its chief dimension”. There… I am sure that is clear for you now?

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  11. Julana says:
    July 1, 2015 at 10:32 am

    This is beautiful, playing on the border of reality and abstraction, and also of line, light, and color.

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