Red coat
Posted: November 17, 2022 Filed under: Uncategorized 18 CommentsThe first snow of the season usually disappears quickly, but what a gift to find that the snow from yesterday’s storm is still on the ground this morning. I rushed out to paint something, anything, with a bit of snow on it. My old parking spots on Avenue Sainte Anne in Pointe Claire Village have disappeared thanks to some new condo buildings, but luckily I found an interesting scene of a parking lot behind some storefronts on Lakeshore Road. It’s a busy place in the morning because the building on the right is a drugstore, so there’s lots of activity in that parking lot in the back.
When it’s a constantly changing scene like this, I lock in the important parts — or rather the moving parts — of the drawing first. That means I draw the cars and the man in the red coat first and then add in buildings, road and trees. While I sat there at least ten different cars pulled in and out, but I had my drawing and I stuck with it.
Colours in winter are soft, so for this I used mostly Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Quinacridone Rose and Raw Sienna. With those I can get the soft tones of walls and sky as well as the wonderful slushy greys for the road. Sketched on a block of Hahnemuhle The Collection Watercolour paper, CP.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
You are amazing!!!! Very inspiring!!!
LikeLike
Gretta, thank you.
LikeLike
A true November sky. Your washes are beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It WAS a true November sky. The blue was so dark behind the snowy roofs. And a definite dampness in the air!
LikeLike
Just a lovely dance of neutrals, and bits of warm reds. The dry brush on rough paper in the foreground makes perfect snowy bits on pavement.
Sent from my iPad
>
LikeLike
Thanks so much Sue Anne. I do love painting those snowy roads!
LikeLike
Love this! You can make a beautiful painting out of any scene!
LikeLike
Wow! Wonderful Shari! I feel like I’m there- ditto what Jane said 👍😁
LikeLike
Soooo Wonderful!…..again:)
LikeLike
Love this one, Shari! Nice light…and of course the red pops. I especially like the way you put some interest in the road.
LikeLike
Excellent capture of the atmosphere today. What an interesting composition. That’s a great jumble of shapes you choose to sketch. The cars are very well done. Lots of practice, right? I loved that car lesson in your Light and Shadows course.
>
LikeLike
I just realized one of the reasons I enjoy your paintings so much – you take the quoitidien and make it more than ordinary. Today I started appreciating my bit of suburbia a lot more than I have in the past! Knowing the colors you are using and methodology adds to the enjoyment of a lovely bit of daily life. Thanks!
LikeLike
Love your style. Enjoy the posts.
LikeLike
Many thanks Michael!
LikeLike
This is exactly the sky we had here these last two days. Late fall-early winter always sets a mood to me. I love this painting. Will this be a print?
LikeLike
You are so inspiring! I signed up for another one of your courses, Urban Winter. It has answered some of the questions I had with regards to watercolors such as the amount of paint vs water, what to work on first and letting stuff dry before continuing…just to name a few. Thanks so much. You’re the best!!
LikeLike
Thanks Jason!
LikeLike
Thanks for explaining your process and your colors. Glad there was a little snow left to surprise you in the morning.
LikeLike