I am flattered and amazed by the response I had to my latest swan piece.
I looked back and saw I have been painting swans in this way since about 2015. I think you'll agree the end result has improved since the early days but the process is still similar so I thought you might be interested in this blog from 2016.
I try to write a blog each week, but sometimes, work, family, appointments get in the way, but for anyone reading this for the first time, please be aware I have many blogs reaching back to 2016 , and they are a resource for any budding watercolourist who wants to read them. So far I have managed to keep them free and accessible to all.
So as the sun shines brightly makind Devon unseasonably warm unlike the weather in 2016 here is how I painted a swan x
So on a rainy Saturday I decided to get messy and have fun painting a swan landing on water. I have tried to photograph the painting in stages so you can see how I did it...
1. Draw a the swan ( I use bockingford watercolour paper and an A2 pencil)
2. Now I literally splatter and flick masking fluid where I imagine the splashes of water to be.....
I use a colour shaper tool, which is made of a type of rubber and stops me from ruining my brushes.
3.Here is the paper, the masking fluid is a yellow colour, I shake the board around too and move the masking fluid on the paper...just have fun.
4. You have to let the masking fluid dry completely, have a cup of tea, think about the painting but make sure it is dry, Now I paint the details of the swan's head, and use the only colour apart from Payne's grey . The beak is yellow ochre, cadmium orange. and some cadmium red..... I also add some shadows to the swan's body and wings.....
5. Once the swan is painted I load a lot of paynes grey onto my brush and carefully think about where I want a crisp line between the swan and the grey to be.Then where I want it to blend. I want to convey movement so I don't want a solid colour behind the swan and I want it to look like water. There is a lot to think about and I don't want the wash to dry....
6.I try to break up the background too, by flicking water on the page and using a weaker wash then a stronger one....This is where the painting is going thick and fast and I have to concentrate hard. I also sprinkle salt onto the paper, or / and use clingfilm ( clingwrap) to create textures.
7. So I stand back from what is happening, add water and take it away, thinking about mark making, and what I like and don't like. Then I have to leave it to dry. I flick some white acrylic into the wet wash and into the splashes and from the wings to give a feeling of movement.....now it has to dry thoroughly .As you can see it is a messy business but one I love
8. Now when it is dry, time to rub off the masking fluid. I use a rubber to do this, and when that is done I go back in with some paint and water to soften edges and cover some splashes I don't like the position of. Now to stand back and decide that the painting is done
