To Triptych or not to Triptych?

 So my lovely wife's birthday was coming up and I asked her what she would like for her birthday this year. I normally by her something she has been wanting for a while and a surprise present.  This year I was the one to be surprised, as she asked me to paint something for her. I shouldn't have been surprised of course as she's my biggest Art fan. As this is her first birthday since we have been married (7 months and counting) I wanted the painting to be even more special so I decided to paint a triptych.

There is something special about a Triptych (definition of Triptych at bottom of blog entry). It can be used in a variety of ways. For example one painting in three sections or as I had chosen to do, three themed images. The theme would be our favourite elements/places of the Gower.

So here's the centre part of the Triptych (see above :-)). It's a painting of Pwll Du Bay. I've painted it once before but this painting is from a different angle and a completely different painting and drawing style. 

Here's the original painting I did 18 months to two years ago. A much more traditonal style but with some originallity in the use of texture and materials (watercolour used like Oil Paints)... I hope.

For those who don't know the term.Triptych is defined in the Oxford University Press as: A picture consisting of three parts and denoting both the object itself and its compositional form. As an object the triptych may vary in size and material, but usually consists of a central panel flanked by wings (or shutters), which may be hinged; as a compositional form it is a tripartite structure, often with an emphasized central element. Although its imagery was, until the 19th century at least, predominantly religious, the object as such was not tied to a specific function.

Pobbles Bay: Line and Wash - Part Two

The first three line and wash images worked really well (See the blog entry for 22 April 2010 Trying Something A Bit Different - Line and Wash Gower Images, for more details). They were quite small images, no larger than A6. I decided to try a larger image. I chose to paint a view of Pobbles Bay looking down on the Beach from the path. 


I chose a simplified linear drawing style. In other words I tried to capture the look and feel of the Bay as exact as I could, but using as few lines as possible. I started by drawing the image out in pencil.  I then used a variety of black ink pens to draw over the pencil lines adding a little more detail and using a variance of thickness of line to add some depth to the image.  Finally I added a colour wash using watercolour paints.


I was really pleased with the final image.  The line and wash images were an experiment to try something a bit different but have turned out to be really effective.  

Although my next painting will be Acrylics on Canvas using a more realistic style, I will definitely create more images using line and wash.

Painting Three Cliffs Bay

I looked at all the photographs I took of Three Cliffs Bay and picked a close-up shot of the Cliffs to paint.  I wanted the cliffs themselves to be the main focus of the painting.

After getting the scale and perspective of the image right, I focused on using a variety of painting techniques to capture the texture, cragginess and vibrancy of the three rock structures. I decided to paint Three Cliffs in Watercolour Paints because it is a very immediate medium and works well with most painting techniques.

I painted the sky first, using a watered down Cerulean Blue. After brushing the paint on I immediately sponged out certain areas to create the clouds (A painting technique known as lifting off).  This technique gives softness to the edges of each of the clouds. I also added a small amount of crimson red to the sky. Just a hint to give the sky warmth and a small amount of lemon yellow to the clouds, to give the sky a sunny glow.

Next I focused on recreating the wonderful textures in the rock-face of the Three Cliffs. I used a dabbing technique to blend the rock colours and dropped paint into pre-wetted areas of the paper to create interesting colour blends.

I also used a dry brush technique to enhance various areas of the painting such as moss growing from the rocks.

Finally I felt that the painting lacked the craginess rock texture it needed to really evoke the majesty of the great looming rocks we know as Three Cliffs. I solved this by using a scalpel knife to scrape into the paint adding carving-like areas into the painting.