What a great workshop it was at Swinton’s Sept 21 – 22. Doug is so good at promoting his workshops. It is always sold out.
This group of watercolour enthusiasts ranged from no experience to very experienced but everyone was excited to try new things and as one participant said ‘to be pushed out of my comfort zone’.
Demo #1 Piazza San Marco
This first demo was an exercise in creating a fast, impressionistic interpretation of ornate European architecture plus the use of eye level to create a realistic crowd.
This is the demo that I did.
Demo #2 A Wet Day In Paris
The second demo was an almost monochromatic study in value. The point was to create a strong centre of interest and the feeling of a rainy day in Paris.
This is my demo at the end of the workshop. It needed much more value plus I notice the 2 ghost figures in the left and right foreground. Together they seemed a little gimicky so I was going to just keep the original one on the left and eliminate the one on the right. When I examined it more closely I noticed that the one on the right which was created with just a couple of brush strokes and a serendipitous paint drip absolutely captured a person on a bicycle. I just couldn’t ruin that little bit of watercolour magic so I eliminated the one on the left instead.
This is my final version that I finished at home. I also really like those bold brush strokes of cobalt teal in the main figure.
It was a wonderful workshop that really inspired me. Thanks to everyone who participated!