Second Kelp Painting

This weekend marks the finishing of the second version of the Monterey Kelp painting. Its 18X24 just like the last one what was done in May. I decided to add a textural element to the painting this time and strung out and teased out some gauze bandages as a representation of the kelp coming down from the top. This painting also allowed be to introduce some new people that were attending... well they are made up. Because they are made up it allows me to put them in places were parts of them can be turned and others can take the limelight. I also decided to do the people without pen. While pen is highly acceptable in the watercolor world for adding definition and keeping the edges "soft" in the painting it detracts from facial tones and tends to over characterize people's faces. There is a tendency to make them more developed along the cartoon spectrum. So... no pen in the people.

Basset Hounds

Our neighbor has a basset hound named Jack. I have been looking for a couple of good images to guide me in painting a watercolor representation of Jack. Jules Feiffer of cartoon fame illustrated a book, Which Puppy?written by his daughter, Kate Feiffer,  that had a number of basset hound paintings in them. Here is my take on his drawings. First the sketch, and then the watercolor.

 

Monterey Kelp Forest Painting

In the last week I have completed the Kelp Forest watercolor painting based on the drawings and sketches and preliminary painting that were posted here last month. You may see them if you scroll down and pick up the commentary for their creation.

This painting is based on a number of photos and sketches of the Monterey Bay Aquarium taken this spring.

I have decided to show here the final painting first. If you progress down this blog you will see the start to finish of this painting.

This is the final painting.


It started like this:

From my sketchbook trials, I knew that the kelp and the people had to be blocked in first.

The light blues were added to check the contrasts and the light values to be preserved.

A preliminary blocking of the framing structure was added. Everything is painting with transparent colors. Its pretty fragile now.

People shapes were added. No sketching of the people or faces. Position of the people is decided. Some people are headed into the exhibit and some are headed out. Some are facing it, so you just see the backs of their heads. More red is introduced to the painting.

My highlighted groups were identified and painted. The Indian couple the twin brothers by the blue frames, the dad with the little girl on top and the guy with the Monterey sweatshirt. No North Dakota couple on the far left side. A few bubbles were introduced. No sketch pen was used to this point.

Fish are introduced, people are sketched as well as painted and balanced. Its done!

I hope you enjoyed watching this painting take shape! This painting progressed a little over 12 days. Its 24inches tall by 18 inches wide. It uses watercolor on 2inch deep canvas treated for a watercolor surface by Daniel Smith's watercolor ground, Titanium White. Lining was done with micron 08 pens that mark at the .5 line.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Kelp Forest Exhibit

This spring (2013) we headed over to Monterey to visit the Aquarium.

I have been working on a series of watercolor paintings that are framed naturally by a presidium. Stages have a presidium that frames what the audience sees.  One of the watercolor paintings was made from the viewing of Mazatlan, Mexico from the buffet of a cruise ship.  Another frames the baseball game at ATT park in San Francisco in the same manner. This would be the third in the series.

I use a medium over canvas and the paintings are watercolors on canvas backing. 

I also have been fortunate to find a developmental tool for watercolor paintings.  Cheap Joes offered a deal on their paint books this Spring.  Their paint books have a drawing sheet in front of some Kilimanjaro 140 pound cold pressed watercolor paper.  There are 20 sheets of each in the paint book. The size is 12 inches wide by 9inches tall.

Follow along and watch the process here as the drawings go from the sketch pages with annotation to watercolor trials on the sheet that follows.

The setting is the Monterey Aquarium's kelp reef forest exhibit.

 This version is more event oriented than the ones that follow. It  follows the original idea of a theater like setting than the ones that follow.

 I thought that it would be nice to add a more people oriented work and play with the value of the aquariums dark sections in this version. As the people came in the need for shadow in them dropped.

 In these the two major subjects added were the girl riding on the dad's shoulders on the far right and the East Indian couple in the lower left. I also had some fun with a cowboy had and another hat on a couple of patrons in the center.

 Having extra drawing paper attached allowed for more experimentation. The people down in front could be smaller.. Overall this version may have too much red.

 The girl riding the father's shoulders is looking better.. I gave the dad some legs. The East Indian couple is still far from acceptable.

 This support page got me doing all sorts of people.. some holding up Ipads to take photos. The North Dakota couple show up here for the first time.  They were a little dumfounded by the display and I need to work to reflect this combination of baffled and amazed. They should hold down the front and center position in the final painting.

 This should be the final drawing/ watercolor support page before going into canvas.  I added the girl with the Monterey sweatshirt down in front. The North Dakota couple are looking better. When this goes on the canvas I think that there will be more red in the people's clothing and a little more work needs to be done to identify the girl on the shoulders and the plants and shape of the presidium. The canvas is much taller and will allow for more vertical representation.

Hope you enjoy!  : ) Pat