May 2005 - Two Australians moved to Tuscany where they planned to live for two years. Two weeks later their dogs, Snowy and Dermott, arrived. Seven years and a property purchase later, they're still here.
This painting of irises is an exercise in working with the brush without benefit of a preliminary pencil sketch. I surprised myself and have built a little confidence for the future.
25 comments:
Anonymous
said...
This is beautiful Robyn. Beautiful depth, and gorgeous colors, especially in the mauve/burgundy iris. It definitely shows confidence in the medium.
I remember extremely well the tutor who got me to do that - and boy was I resistant to trying! However you get such a sense of achievement when you find you can draw with a brush. :)
Absolutely gorgeous Robyn. All three colours are true to life and the composition is great. I too have been trying to paint directly with the brush and no pencil predrawing - but doing figures from magazines and books. OOOOOh! its hard but fun.
Howbeautiful and just with a brush. Im teaching my self and want to paint like this with brush. Do you have any advise how to do this.This painting inspires me so. Thank you, Linda
Many thanks to you all. I hope this one wasn't just a lucky accident.
Linda - I really don't have any advice except to take a piece of 'unimportant' paper and a simple reference with good colour and shapes. Load your brush and paint the first shape and then the next. The nice thing about the brush is if the first stroke isn't quite right you can paint outside it. Let me know how you get on.
These are gorgeous Robyn! Normally I feel lines are necessary or there is something missing, but you have such lovely edges here and contrasting values, it looks perfect!
Robyn, Thank you so this means alot for me. I'll come here and look at yours and do the three P's of Practice. Robyn what size brush and type did you use? Have a great day:) Linda
Felicity - Thanks :) I think the fact that this was an exercise for me and not a 'painting' freed me up a little.
Linda - I wish I could be of more help. I used a Tintoretto No8 round sable brush which comes to a beautiful fine point and a da Vinci synthetic No5 - both of which are travel brushes that are covered by their handles when not in use.
Two tips -1. buy the best watercolour brush you can afford - in my opinion that is a real sable. No8 is a great size for most things. 2. Use a real flower or a photograph of a real flower as your reference rather than another watercolour. This is because one needs to be able to clearly see the structure of the object even if that isn't apparent in the finished painting. Good luck :)
Robyn - This is gorgeous!!! I love your colors on the petals and the leaves. It is funny that you are trying to try painting without a pencil sketch. I have joined in with the WetCanvas group doing journals, and my challenge to myself this month is to do a sketch/painting a day without any pencil sketching. I think it helps improve your power of observation. I would love it if I could get this result.
Seriously? No drawing????Wow, Robyn, I'm so jealous of your control of the medium - and your exquisite drawing skills show through even when you don't exercise them.....
Beautiful flowers and a nice composition, too! Love how the lighter flower "comes forward" because it's defined so well by the darker negative shape of the blossom below it!
25 comments:
This is beautiful Robyn. Beautiful depth, and gorgeous colors, especially in the mauve/burgundy iris.
It definitely shows confidence in the medium.
These are just beautiful Robyn - such amazing colors.
Beautiful Robyn.
GASP! I did literally. Breathtaking!
Whoohoo- that's a big one! Well done you!
I remember extremely well the tutor who got me to do that - and boy was I resistant to trying! However you get such a sense of achievement when you find you can draw with a brush. :)
And there you have it.... a beautifully drawn image, fresh and clean and sensitively observed... with a brush! Bravo!
That's so pretty! Very nice work!
Very pretty Robyn! It can be nervewracking, I know!
Absolutely gorgeous Robyn. All three colours are true to life and the composition is great. I too have been trying to paint directly with the brush and no pencil predrawing - but doing figures from magazines and books. OOOOOh! its hard but fun.
While I'll always be a proponent of drawing, there are a lot of benefits of testing yourself to see what you can do without that guide in place.
This is a beauty!
Howbeautiful and just with a brush. Im teaching my self and want to paint like this with brush. Do you have any advise how to do this.This painting inspires me so.
Thank you,
Linda
That's pretty draint - watercolour straight in with the brush. What a fabuolous result.
Many thanks to you all. I hope this one wasn't just a lucky accident.
Linda - I really don't have any advice except to take a piece of 'unimportant' paper and a simple reference with good colour and shapes. Load your brush and paint the first shape and then the next. The nice thing about the brush is if the first stroke isn't quite right you can paint outside it. Let me know how you get on.
These are gorgeous Robyn! Normally I feel lines are necessary or there is something missing, but you have such lovely edges here and contrasting values, it looks perfect!
Robyn, Thank you so this means alot for me. I'll come here and look at yours and do the three P's of Practice.
Robyn what size brush and type did you use? Have a great day:)
Linda
Felicity - Thanks :) I think the fact that this was an exercise for me and not a 'painting' freed me up a little.
Linda - I wish I could be of more help. I used a Tintoretto No8 round sable brush which comes to a beautiful fine point and a da Vinci synthetic No5 - both of which are travel brushes that are covered by their handles when not in use.
Two tips -1. buy the best watercolour brush you can afford - in my opinion that is a real sable. No8 is a great size for most things. 2. Use a real flower or a photograph of a real flower as your reference rather than another watercolour. This is because one needs to be able to clearly see the structure of the object even if that isn't apparent in the finished painting. Good luck :)
Stunning flowers! Well done. Very niuce blog you have here.
Robyn - This is gorgeous!!! I love your colors on the petals and the leaves. It is funny that you are trying to try painting without a pencil sketch. I have joined in with the WetCanvas group doing journals, and my challenge to myself this month is to do a sketch/painting a day without any pencil sketching. I think it helps improve your power of observation. I would love it if I could get this result.
Very pretty.
Beautiful Robyn - painting directly with the brush is addictive when you realise how quickly you can make lovely shapes like these!
Beautiful and powerful, too. I look forward to seeing more in this vein! Hope all is well, dear Robyn.
Seriously? No drawing????Wow, Robyn, I'm so jealous of your control of the medium - and your exquisite drawing skills show through even when you don't exercise them.....
Haven't been around, but it sure is nice coming here and seeing these lovely irises! It seems you are very busy with the binoculars!
bisous
Ronelle
Beautiful flowers and a nice composition, too! Love how the lighter flower "comes forward" because it's defined so well by the darker negative shape of the blossom below it!
Suma
They are lovely. Inspires me to try! I'm so new to watercolour.
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