Auckland Viaduct Studio Greys - AWARDED 1st PRIZE

AWARDED 1st prize by Watercolour New Zealand and Gordon Harris Art Supplies. AVAILABLE email me

Thrilled to say Auckland Viaduct studio greys has been awarded 1st prize by Watercolour New Zealand and Gordon Harris Art Supplies.

I had painted the same subject en plein air the previous day and was dissatisfied with the result, I was, however, inspired to create the scene with a new composition and a different mix of greys.

As I am a heavy handed painter and struggle with light values and greys, more practice required!!

I started with a loose thumbnail value sketch, then applied a loose simplified sketch to my watercolour paper.
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Painting in an en plein air style ie, top down, I started with varying mixes of greys (phthalocyanine blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna); warmer hues gradating into cooler and sometimes painting with clean water, all this around planned whites.

​Once the shine had left the paper I splashed in some some light value spatter and continued to paint stronger washes of colour - that is, less water more paint with each successive shape created. Parts of the “office” and fishing boat were painted with colour straight from the tube. I painted in some dark people and also scrubbed out some lighter value shapes.

The paper was still quite damp which allowed me the freedom of soft edges and more spatter. I also started to add accents of raw sienna, cerulean blue and splashes of white gouache.

I get totally absorbed in negative painting - the worse you do it the better, some soft edges, plus some bleeding - squirting water and when close to dry, some final hard edges. I added some calligraphy marks to seal the deal.

For international and local workshops and classes www.amandabrett.net

ciao cari amici xx
Amanda

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