Recently painters from the Nanoose Bay Art Group in Nanoose BC CANADA requested a demonstration that had a west coast tidal pool feel to it. That opened up a chance to demonstrate reflective pools, wet sand, rocks, waves, trees and of course a boat or two off in the distance. So here’s a review:
Palette: French Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Gold, Alizarin Crimson
Step 1: Big shapes first. Wet-in-wet sky, water and rock formations. Mix big pools of paint the consistency of coffee cream and let wet colour mix right on the paper (in this case 140 lb Arches).
Step 2: The focal point is in the middle ground here, with the colours vibrant and warm which causes them to come forward in the picture plane. Try loose and brief strokes in the tree branches by pushing and pulling the paint in a scumbling fashion. The quicker the stroke, the more broken the edges feel which works well with trees.
Step 4 and 5: Develop the smaller shapes, darks. Adding the brighter tree to the left pulls the focal point into an effective spot. The cool, washed out distant boat shapes create distance and a story. I was just about ready to consider this a finished piece, however I sensed that there should be more of that warm colour echoing in other spots …
