Check out the difference between this painting and the cooler version below. The 'blue' painting is the original, painted on gessoed watercolor paper several years ago. This week, that blue finally got to me, so I dug out my mouth atomizer, diluted some transparent pyrrol orange fluid acrylic in water, then sprayed or actually 'misted' the blue painting to warm it up. Those ancient streets just looked wrong in cool colors.
A few small blue shapes were taped off before spraying, like the walk in front of the fence and parts of some windows. It would have been impossible to glaze paint over the surface because the friction from my paint brush would've easily lifted the existing watercolor paint right off of the gesso.
Once the orange dried, darks were added on the left hand side, and the sky area was darkened a lot to decrease the importance of its shape. A smattering of burnt orange was touched into the distant wall and more warms added to the lamp. 
Some of the darker shapes were darkened even more, and the fence was extended over to the wall.
A new painting is in the works right now of the same subject, but the approach is very different this time. The temperature dominance WILL be warm, for sure. It'll be posted once it's completed.
"MALTA EVENING" Transparent Watercolor with Fluid Acrylics on 140#CP Gessoed Arches, 15 x 21"
Posts
21 comments:
Wow, what a transformation!
I have an atomizer and all kinds of ideas for things I want to do with it - but I haven't quite figured out how to make it work yet.
Maybe that'll be what I work on today.
:)
Thanks, Angela, for leaving a comment. For the atomizer, use lots of huffing and puffing power to make the paint spray out in a fine mist. It sure takes some practice to get it to be tiny dots on the paper instead of big blobs. Good luck.
What a difference. Now you know I love my blues but you were right - the scene needed warms, not cools. This made a beautiful change - hardly believe it's the same painting. Is the atomizer much better than a fine mist from a misting bottle - the kind Tom Lynch uses?
i RHonda,
The Tom Lynch mister would give a very similar look. Possibly the atomizer provides a bit more control over where the spray goes.
Thanks for your comments'
That painting really packs a punch now! Neat to see the before and after versions and read what you did to change things.
Wow, what a difference. I love my cool colors but this does look so much better. Thank you for sharing your techniques.
I love the new look! Thank you for sharing the process and the before and after paintings make such great examples!
Sandy,what a delightful change you have made! It definitely works so much better with warmer colours!
I am looking forward to seeing the next version.
In the meantime I will hunt up my old atomiser and do some practise.
Will be back-Great site.
Pete,Theartbrush
Glad you like the newer version better. It's always a little scary to change a painting like this cause there's no going back. Thanks so much for visiting, Sandy, Meera, Vicki, and Chris. And Pete, thanks for stopping by, too. Sure is lots to paint where you live in Bucks County.
What a difference...who would have thought?...Now it just glows and has real impact due to the changes you have made. I would have thought the first was just beautiful, but now - WOW!
Barb
Great change, Sandy. As one who always will go for the warm colors I see this is a much better version, although I was not put off by the cool version, either!
I have an airbrush (saved from when I was doing cake decorating) and it works great the few things I have used it for in paintings. Now, I am contemplating all sorts of uses for it...like glazing on Yupo for instance. There are times I want to warm up an area or vice versa, I wonder if the misted water drops would show up as speckles on Yupo? Hmmmmm.
Thanks, Barbara, for your comments. Susan, since this was on gesso - fairly non-absorbant (but not as much so as YUPO) the paint tended to make tiny droplets that mingled together quickly if I sprayed too much at a time. Letting each fine mist dry before spraying again worked really well. It doesn't take much, and it's wonderful you have an airbrush instead of a lowly atomizer. No more cakes???
OH MY GOSH, This just takes my breath away, Sandy. The difference is incredible. I love the warmth that the pyroll has created in the buildings. It just makes a total difference in this painting. Well done.
Thanks, Judy. A friend was looking for a painting to purchase and liked the blue one but not the blue for her house...so it made me think about the temperature of the painting...the old streets...the warmth of the Italian area, etc...and I wondered why I'd ever painted it blue. But most of my paintings used to be cool temperatures until about three years ago. I'm painting another pix for my friend now - same scene - different approach...almost done.
I just can't explain how that warmer one affects me! It is awesome! I love the colour in it!!!!
Deb, Thanks for stopping by...and I think the warmer one makes us think that spring and summer really will happen again....the blue one is so cold.
Sandy, I just wrote to Creative Catalyst Productions and suggested they do a dvd of YOU. I'd sure buy it in an instant!
Maybe it does make us think of spring and we sure need that. You sure can make colours work wonderfully!
Thanks, Deb, for thinking of me for a dvd - but, though I love to teach, microphones, etc. make me freeze up pretty bad. Don't know why - since talking in front of huge crowds never bothers me. Cameras do the same thing to me, too. Glad you enjoyed the 'new' painting.
What A difference color temperature can make. This is a great idea. I have some pieces to try it on.
http://journeysinart.blogspot.com/
Hi Joanne, Thanks for stopping by. Enjoyed your blog, too.
Post a Comment