After Shishkin- Gathering storm

After Shishkin- Gathering storm

This is a gouache study of a Shishkin landscape.  First attempt using gouache for landscape. The biggest take home on this was not how to use the paint but the design of the composition. To me it seems there was a lot of design going on here - layering multiple darks against lights.  It seems to me unlikely that you would find so many elements so well composed.  The next biggest learn was how important it is to hold onto the lights in gouache - once they are gone they are gone - I lost them in the foreground. 

 

Healer

Healer

Did this alongside working on two other pieces.  Sprung our of sketching did lines and went straight to colour.  Think that skipping value sped things up. 

Dog Portrait

Dog Portrait 

Had time over the holiday season to try some new stuff.  This is a study done in gouache. Started out with pencil drawing.  Did a wash to lay out tones then worked on it far too much. 



Touched it up a bit in Photoshop. I prefer the one above. 

Dog Portrait 

  

Hitman

Hitman

Continuing with the characters and switching up style. 

Goats in a Barn - After John Frederick Herring

After John Frederick Herring

A gouache study of  a piece by John Frederick Herring.   Really pleased with this one.  In part because I know what it looked like about half way through. I thought about ditching it at that point but pushed through.  I think I worked on it over 3 days going back in and reworking passages.  Thats ability to rework is what I find great about this medium but really I should be getting it right the first time.  

Its a bit wet

Its a bit wet

A bit of a coincidence.  I had started work on this before storm Desmond.  This storm dropped a lot of water on an already rain soaked Ireland causing multiple floods and a lot of damage.  

A liitle bit of pomp

During the Meissonier study  I also worked on this fellow.