There's nothing quite like trying a new painting technique/ method on a wet grey day. Put the music on and be a little carefree. I decided to have a go at a watercolour base with pastel on top. I stretched some fisher 400 pastel paper, but could have managed without stretching. Then applied some wet in wet transparent watercolour mixes letting them merge together. You can see that a large bumble bee took the place of St Herberts Island on Derwentwater. But I was feeling carefree so no worries.
Stage two came when the paper was bone dry and back to flat it did lift a little with the watercolour. I wanted to create a pale distance feel to the Lake and back fells with a little more detail for Catbells. I enjoy working with underpainting and find pastels much easier this way. So after painting the background and lake I started on the foreground with much brighter and more detailed shapes and colours. I find squinting does help to paint negative shapes ie the foliage.
So the outcome Watercolour base with Pastels, I really enjoyed working this way the Fisher 4oo paper worked a treat with plenty of tooth, for those who don't like the pastel sandpaper why not try a stretched piece of canson paper.
Watercolour Stage
'Catbells'
Painted in pastels
For Sale at Moot Hall ,Keswick
Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd December 11
