Memories of our camping holidays are always happy ones! Sometimes we’d stay for 4 weeks and have endless fun, swimming, fishing, exploring and eating!! If it rained however there were a new set of challenges as getting around in thongs was almost impossible through the mud and shoes became “high heels” as the mud stuck thicker and higher with every footstep!
STEP ONE
I’ve chosen to paint a sunny fun day in the water! On a quarter sheet of 640g H/P watercolour paper I have airbrushed a background using Cadmium yellow and Cobalt in separate washes. I had a little “happy accident” in the form of a couple of runs of Cobalt, which I intend to turn into other things”!
STEP TWO
You can see what I have done to cover up the Cobalt runs, a colourful beach ball, a fish and a little girl playing in the sand! It’s amazing what you can come up with using your imagination! I have used watercolours as they have better coverage than pencils would. On the beach ball I’ve used Cobalt, Vermilion, Cadmium yellow and Viridian, I felt this picture could use more colour to create the atmosphere I am after. I have only used these 4 colours from my watercolours throughout and have used them together with a limited range of watercolour pencils. The rubber tyre “floatie” was painted in watercolour using Indigo and Burnt umber.
STEP THREE
I want to keep the “vintage” look about this picture and so introduce my watercolour pencils, I’ve used May green for the man’s shirt and also in the water and on the canvas tents. I have used Copper beach for his pants and in the riverbank.
STEP FOUR
I have used deep vermilion for the table cloths and Orange chrome for the little girl’s hat and bathing suit. I am also using a 3B graphite pencil for background trees and shading over the whole picture. The ladies swimsuit is watercolour pencil Deep Cadmium. My Terracotta watercolour pencil was used for the skin tones.
STEP FIVE
I set about darkening the colours with my watercolour pencils and graphite pencil. The little boy’s shirt was coloured with watercolour Ultramarine while for his bucket I have used Cobalt.
STEP SIX
I am working my way around the picture adding highlights and shadows, I don’t want to make my colours too bright and knowing when to stop is vital! I’ve added some Olive green watercolour pencil to the man’s shirt and around the picture to give the tonal balance. The fish was a light wash of Cobalt and since I’ve decided he is a “yellow belly” I have added some yellow ochre to his underside! This picture really takes me back to my childhood! Happy Painting!
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• Once you have selected your pencils group them together with a rubber band, this will help you to keep the tonal balance in the painting by limiting your colours and will help you to find them more easily instead of having to sort through your pencil box.
• If you are going to use only watercolour pencils you may have to re wet and re work your colours, be sure the area you are re working is totally dry so you don’t run the risk of tearing your paper!
