I am slowly getting back to normal after a hectic couple of weeks I am very busy working on a big commission and other smaller commissions I have also. Lots of new challenges and thought processes and so when I need to unwind I love to paint in Payne's Grey
Firstly it means I have no colour choices to make, None of that figuring out what to do, if you paint like me ( very untidily ) I often find myself thinking the colour will be yellow ochre only to find cobalt blue still on the brush and I am busily trying to cope with a rescue mission. Or when painting something new not knowing which colour to use. Painting in just Payne's grey frees me from all that , it is like reading a real page turner after a really challenging novel. So with my elephants I can just lose myself in the piece....
I also love Paynes grey because it contains blue as well as black and so when you flood the paper with it who knows what will happen , the blues come out magically and uncontrollably on their own and so I have the pure joy of seeing what will happen.....
I also like to add just one touch of color to contrast with the Payne's grey but as this is usually the eyes ( my absolute favourite thing to paint ) then that is no bother.
I love the way Paynes grey because it goes from the darkest dark to the lightest light so it is economical and yet the finished piece is complex. I can achieve ( hopefully) what I am looking for , the essence of the subject without saying too much. Like the best pencil sketches do...so I love to do landscapes in Paynes grey too
So after a busy few weeks or when I am tired then Paynes Grey is the perfect way to relax
7 comments
Lovely paintings and an incite full article. Thank you.
An educative piece
I love the free and loose treatment which you have achieved with this watercolour of the bird of prey.
It looks simple and easy but from my experience these studies are hard, complex and tough to get right.
Every blending of shade, every assumed feather and every splash must be right or the erroneous shape creates a grating nativity which can kill the excellence of the work at times.
Your work is brilliant because you have painted enough detail to suggest the form, the depth and the life of the bird. You are right about the eye being the soul and essence of the creation. I also believe that the beak and the accent feathers around the face are the defining part and must be a seen as part of the whole too. You have balanced this well.
The shape,the colours used and the reflection cteated are really super too.
Fantastic work, I am truly impressed.
Regs
Ken
I love the free and loose treatment which you have achieved with this watercolour of the bird of prey.
It looks simple and easy but from my experience these studies are hard, complex and tough to get right.
Every blending of shade, every assumed feather and every splash must be right or the erroneous shape creates a grating nativity which can kill the excellence of the work at times.
Your work is brilliant because you have painted enough detail to suggest the form, the depth and the life of the bird. You are right about the eye being the soul and essence of the creation. I also believe that the beak and the accent feathers around the face are the defining part and must be a seen as part of the whole too. You have balanced this well.
The shape,the colours used and the reflection cteated are really super too.
Fantastic work, I am truly impressed.
Regs
Ken
I absolutely love your owl in Payne’s Gray! It is masterful. A perfect combination of abstraction & realism. The abstraction from all the splashy & controlled details from the watercolour, in a great composition. The perfect tonal value for everything. So brilliant.