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Monday, August 16, 2010

Working outside my comfort zone - work in progress

OK, now we are practising Richard McKinley's technique before I attend his workshop.  We have a choice of Kitty Wallis paper in white, Uart, and PastelBord in white.  I'm saving my Kitty Wallis for the workshop.  So I'm practising on something similar - PastelBord.  I am using a photographic reference and working inside the "cool" airconditioned house - it is sweltering outside.  I did the watercolor underpainting while the board was upright and let it drip.  And now I am beginning to put pastel on it - working up the darkest areas since the watercolor dried much lighter - that clay in the PastelBord really sucks it up.

This feels uncomfortable and foreign after working on (and feeling at home with) LaCarte paper.  So, I don't know how this will turn out.  More on this tomorrow ...

6 comments:

Euphoria said...

I like the combination of watercolor and pastels, I never tried that!

Ida M. Glazier said...

This looks like a great start!! I want to do one! I have learned that with w/c for an underpainting, don't be afraid to really use deep colors, really frighten yourself!! It dries so much lighter, One w/c guy said:If it looks good when wet, its wrong when dry. Referring to the values of course. But this is a great beginning! Love the comp---and can't wait to see how you finnish the brush around the water!

ti-igra said...

Hi, Carolyn! So you are not home? You went to travel in search of new techniques? :-) I really love the colors in your work, though it is a beginning, it seems even batik! Colors are very nice and I see grass and bushes that appear in the water! I know you always come up with something interesting, something immediately thought of your abstract experiments, especially with a frog! :-) I wish you inspiration! It will be still an your another excellent work!

Carolyn Jean Thompson said...

Hi art gals! Yes, Ti - I am still home. The workshop is mid-September. Thanks for the encouragement, I will continue onward with this!

LIZ said...

Gorgeous so far! I'm really liking it. I love the combination of the watercolor underpainting and pastel.

LIZ said...

Gorgeous so far! I'm really liking it. I love the combination of the watercolor underpainting and pastel.