More on work in progress

After the last post I thought I would try the work in progress idea with a smaller canvas.  The one below is only 8 x 8 inch.  I painted the canvas warm AZO yellow, then covered it with crumpled dressmakers tissue.  I did this as an experiment to see how it affected the look of the canvas at this stage, and I was surprised by how much the yellow showed through.

Harbour work in progress, side of canvas

The above picture shows clearly how the yellow is shining through.  I really like this affect and will experiment with it more.  I think it has great potential for using complementary colours under the tissue so that the painting will zing!

Harbour work in progress, composition

The front of the canvas shows the composition roughed in with a charcoal pencil.  You can clearly see the printing on the dressmakers tissue and I will be keeping some of it to incorporate it into the final piece.

Unfortunately I didn't get any further yesterday, and today I am back at Burton Agnes Hall.  I am taking it with me but don't know how much I will get done.

Work in progress

I was stewarding all day at Burton Agnes Hall Courtyard gallery yesterday, and although I worked on three different pieces of work whilst there, I forgot to take any photographs, so that will have to wait until Saturday or Sunday.

I thought it might be interesting to take some 'work in progress' photos as my work changes radically throughout it's progress.  I think it will be difficult to remember to take the photos, but I will do my best.  I remember I did post about using a video camera to record a paintings progress some time ago, but I haven't done anything about it as yet.

The pieces of work below are three different pieces, showing the different ways I might start a painting.  I now tend to work from chaos, gradually pulling the painting together, and hoping not to go past the point when I should stop.  This way of working is largely due to Neil Helyard, my tutor on Tuesday's.  He has always said that you can't start worrying about the details until the painting is nearly finished - "adding the jewels" is what he calls it.  I owe Neil a lot, as I would never have reached this stage without his help.

Canvas with dressmakers tissue, fluid acrylics & acrylic inks

The first one above, is a canvas which I hope will evolve into a harbour scene, there has been no forward planning other than blue at the bottom for water.  I love harbours, combining boats and buildings seems to work for me.  I used dressmakers tissue, crumpled up and then glued to the canvas with PVA.  When dry I added acrylic inks and some fluid acrylics.  I may go directly in and paint, or I may use a charcoal or white conte pencil to rough in the composition.

I use the dressmakers tissue to provide texture,  it's slightly stronger than normal white tissue.  I also like the serendipity of odd words and arrows peeking through the paint.

Harbour scene, collage, acrylic paint

The next 'beginning'  Harbour scene above is slightly different. In this piece I have planned the composition before I began.  I applied white tissue to the top area, then added a few pieces at the bottom, together with other collage papers.  There is a band of dressmakers tissue across the centre area, where the harbour wall and road will be. I have added some collage for the boats, and for the houses.  I then added a little acrylic paint to set the colour scheme.

No.2 Harbour Top. Acrylic mixed media

The last piece is different again.  I did apply dressmakers tissue, but also added gesso and some light molding paste in places.  When dry I blocked in the main areas, which look very crude at the moment.  I try to work from positive to negative and back again, altering and refining until I am happy with the result.

I should mention that I like to have several paintings on the go at once in the hope that I don't overwork any; when stuck I move onto the next painting rather than keep painting on one and ruin it.  I also like to work in series, the subject being whatever 'floats my boat' at the time.  Boats and harbours and also Venice canals seem to be my 'thing' at the moment.

Finally, I try to keep in mind that if it doesn't work, then I can just gesso over it and/or cover it with tissue and start again, everything under this layer will have been a learning experience, adding to my skills and knowledge.

Still life, stitched

I managed to get the still life I showed yesterday stitched.  I'm not sure if I am going to leave it as is, or add more paint and/or mark making.  I will probably print out the photo onto watercolour paper and experiment with it that way.   I wish I had left the pears with only a little stitching, as they leap forward now, and I don't want to add a lot more stitching to the rest of the picture.

Printing onto watercolour paper (or thin canvas) is something I have done for a few years now, and is very freeing, as if things go wrong I can always print out another copy to work on.  I also play about with the photo's of my work in Photoshop, changing the colours and tones, cropping and even stretching or adding artistic filters.

Stitched Still Life, acrylic, collage, stitch, 8 x 8 inch

I have also including a quick collage I made using transparent papers.  I like to use up any surplus acrylic paints or inks with transparent papers that I can then use in collage.  I use thin greaseproof (deli paper), catering tissue which is like the paper they wrap bread in at the bakery, and dressmakers tissue.

Still Life collage 8 x 9 inch

The pears are greaseproof paper, which wrinkles when wet and leaves these lovely marks when you paint it with very liquid colour.  The only problem with making collage papers in this way is I find it difficult to stop, and have mounds of them.