Preparatory sketch, wet-in-wet techniques

Using a wet-in-wet technique and light washes Jeremy painted the fruit with graded tones of colour.
Imperfections on the fruit were added to create interest and texture. He said to remember to “ground” the fruit by showing some background stalkes for the grapes (a visible means of support) and a stalk on the pear which will create a shadow.

Washes of colour

Jeremy advised that with each piece of fruit think light, middle, and dark tones, modelling the form with tone and ensuring there are tonal contrasts.
Colours used: ochre, ultramarine, cerulean, gamboge, and an orange made with gamboge and a touch of burnt sienna.
Vary the colours on each fruit and allow the washes to blend with each other.

Modelling the form with tonal contrasts

Joke from Ruth – do you know why the banana went to the Dr's?

Because he wasn't peeling well!



The purple grapes will supply the tonal contrast. (ultramarine/permanent rose).
Add a darker glaze onto the pear to make it darker. A weaker glaze over the stronger colours creates harmony in the colours. It is important to ensure the grapes look translucent.
The green is a mixture of gamboge and ultramarine, although cerulean blue would create a brighter green – Jeremy used both greens to create different tones in the grapes.
Highlights are on left. Paint round to create a sharper highlight and also lift out some highlights with a damp brush and this will create a softer highlight. Lifting out colour creates a “bloom” effect on the fruit. Jeremy occasionally leaves a sliver of white showing between the grapes. Allow some of the colour in the grapes to blend together.

Shadows

Shadows were created with voilet. Some areas of dark brown shadow were also added.

Try to get a sense of reflected light in the bowl and in its shadow. It is a white bowl but the white picks up the colours of the fruit and some shadows. Allow the colours to blend together.
When painting a still-life at home make sure you have one light source onto the still-life, from one side.

The finished painting

Misty landscape

Jeremy managed to paint a second painting during the afternoon, a misty landscape.
He started by wetting the top half of the paper. Jeremy said that 6 colours are enough for a painting. Jeremy used ochre and permanent rose for the sky.

Washes of colour

Clouds are added. Mountains are painted with rose and ultramarine – stronger tones and faded out to nothing. Add ochre and some burnt sienna whilst damp so the colours blend. More ultramarine was put in the mix for the water.

Distant mountains

The waterfall will be a negative shape created by painting darks around it. Some dry brush technique is used to create sparkle and sometimes uses a knife to scratch out sparkle.

Beginning of the waterfall area

Moorlands are a mix of warm colours with a touch of purple here and there, let the colours run together.

Darker mountains

Put purple around the tarn area, this creates a link with the rest of the painting. Add a little touch of green. Use plenty of paint for the foreground and a range of warm colours.

Creating definition on the waterfall

Definitions are created by a sharp edge and dark tone. Use a damp brush to lift out some rock shapes or use a credit card. A square brush is useful for rocks.

Rocks

Why is watercolour painting like golf? - “the fewer strokes the better”!

On behalf of the members Peter Jacques thanked Jeremy for his inspiring watercolour demonstration, for his technical advice throughout and for entertaining us with anecdotes about his painting career, (& his jokes) and not least for creating two wonderful paintings in the space of a few hours.
A very enjoyable afternoon.

Finished painting

All painting images copyright of Jeremy Taylor.

(Dart 30.9.2010)