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1. Scottish Colliery - start of watercolour painting.
For those of you following my 'In Progress' page you will have noticed that this is now a different painting.
I was not happy with the first one so I have started again. This is the problem with painting in watercolour - if it is just not right in whatever way, then you can be sure the painting will be unsatisfactory.
So, I have sketched in a new scene with less sky space and more foreground detail which contains bushes and shrubs. I have painted in a detailed heavy cloudy sky.
This was 1/2 hour work.
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2. Scottish Colliery - masking detail.
I use mask infrequently and sparingly. Here I am putting a 'mask' on the paper where I am going to put the lighest colours of the foreground shrubbery.
I have masked out the leaves on a silver birch tree, some grasses around the pheasants and leaves from the bushes. The mask is a yellow colour so that you may distinguish it whilst painting.
It is also reflective and shiny.
This was 1/2 hour work.
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3. Scottish Colliery - mountains.
I have put in the distant mountains. They are sparsely detailed and reflect the stong pregnant clouds above. I have painted in a dark wash to the left of the painting behind the mine shafts.
The mountain on the right has a few bits of white space, this lets the painting breathe and on many Scottish mountains granite rocks and wet patches will reflect light.
I have also added some more clouds in the centre left and right of the sky.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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4. Scottish Colliery - shrubbery.
I have washed in a background for the shrubbery in various green tones. I have put in some leaf detail behind the preening female pheasant.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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5. Scottish Colliery - shrubbery detail.
Letting the greenery dry allows me to see the depth of colour that has been placed. I can then add in more depth.
I have added to the assorted heights of the bushes and their colours. I have carefully painted around the pheasants.
I am happy with the way the painting is turning out, how it's mood is developing and the little scenario of the pheasant couple in the foreground.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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6. Scottish Colliery - mine shafts.
This painting is about a colliery that is now no longer in existence - having been levelled some time ago. Like times past I have painted the mine shafts with a light
mist, seen partially thru the foilage, as in the memory. I have used browns for the buildings so that they contrast with the blue mountains.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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7. Scottish Colliery - tree branches.
Also in browns I have painted in the silver birch tree on the right, and the little bush on the left. The browns help you focus on the colliery in the centre left.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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8. Scottish Colliery - removing the mask.
Carefully the mask has been removed from the canvas. Mask can always be a problem if it is laid too thick, as it can rip the soft paper. I use my finger tip to gently rub the mask away.
The painting now has bright white patches and these are the areas that will be painted in a highlighted colour. It is also a good idea to leave some white showing as it adds space to the painting.
I like my paintings to have 'resting' areas, so that your eyes may glide smoothly over the scene and come to rest in the 'quieter' areas.
This was around 20 minutes work.
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9. Scottish Colliery - bushes and leaves.
I have put in the lighter coloured birch tree leaves. I have also added leaves to the bush on the left.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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10. Scottish Colliery - depth to bushes.
I have added depth to the bushes behind the pheasants, making sure to leave some white patches and to vary the depth of greens.
I am satisfied with the shrubbery and now I will be concentrating on the pheasants and the few grasses around them.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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11. Scottish Colliery - pheasants.
I have put in a light coat for the pheasants. The hen is a pale dusky brown, whilst the male has a richer tan colour.
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12. Scottish Colliery - depth to buildings.
After looking at the overall painting I have decided to add more depth to the mine buildings. Putting in some browns gives the
buildings an old rust type feel. They are also more of a focal point now.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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13. Scottish Colliery - male pheasant, female wings, head and legs.
I have painted in the head of the male, making sure that his beautiful green and blue sheen feathers are visible. I have given his body a nice outline and made the feet noticible.
I have also put in the hens wings - she is preening so her wings are drooping a bit. I have changed her legs aswell - now she is standing.
When painting with watercolour you will sometimes find that the danger is in everything blending together, so you must make sure that you concentrate on the main subject/s of the painting. Do not overdo it with too much contrast or thick lines.
This was around 1/2 hour work.
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14. Scottish Colliery - female pheasant.
I have painted in the feathers and now need to add depth.
This was 1/2 hours work.
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15. Scottish Colliery - male pheasant.
I have added shading to the female so that she is not so 'flat'. I have also given her a shadow. Even on the dullest of days if you look down you will notice that most things have shadows.
The male pheasant now has all his colourful plumage. He also has a shadow. I have added in the foreground grasses, some of which are infront of the pheasants. I made some of the silver birch leaves darker.
This was around 2 hours work.
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16. Scottish Colliery - male pheasant.
I painted in a new bush on the right infront of the silver birch tree, there had been a gap and it was too empty. I have taken away some of the speckles from the back of the male pheasant by his tail.
I will look at this painting in one day and make final adjustments, it is nearly finished - I have to sign it and get a card mount cut for it at my local framer.
This was 1/2 hours work.
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17. Scottish Colliery - finished.
I have now completed the painting. Bilston Glen Colliery no longer exists but it was a working Scottish coal mine. The refernece photos I used never actually gave a complete view of the mine so I had to piece together
the images to reconstruct the outline. In the background are the Scottish mountain range The Pentlands. This was a great challenge and I enjoyed painting this scene.
I hope you like my painting too and enjoyed sharing this journey.
If you would like to commission a painting please go to my contact page to get in touch with me.
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