Yesterday was looking to be a sketch-free day, until I saw a vivid, vertical stripe of late afternoon sun hitting the old dresser in the dining room. I had 30 minutes available until picking my son up; I grabbed a sketchbook and the watercolours and dived in. I decided not to take a photo of the glorious tangerine light on the dark oak – I’d try to remember once it disappeared, as it surely would, and fast. I think that might have been a mistake.
The light was still there, albeit changing, as I sketched the outlines in my sepia fineliner, but finally petered out as soon as I got the watercolours into play. The sun sets so quickly at this time of year. The dining room became too dark to work without a light on, and so what you see here is a concoction of my memory, made under artificial light. Hmmm. Not ideal conditions.
This picture is A5 size, so it was easy to work relatively quickly. I used a lot of burnt sienna and various blues to achieve the browns and shadows. Putting the orange in was fun, but I haven’t achieved anywhere near the glow of the wood in reality. Still, it was good to have a go, and get some more experience of mixing colours with a time constraint.
Richly atmospheric, Rebecca with the right colour choices.
Fine work indeed.
Best always
john
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Thank you for the lovely compliment, John. π
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So beautiful, Rebecca. Just gorgeous.
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Oh thank you Sabiscuit! You’re too kind. π
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Anytime, Becca. xoxo
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This has a lovely richness to it, I think how you’ve capture the low, late afternoon sun is amazing.
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Ah, I’m so glad you think it worked! I wasn’t sure…thank you. π
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The colours glow and work really well together.
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Thank you very much! π
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That is impressive! A lovely piece of quiet drama.
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Thanks very much Michael, I’m glad you like it. π
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Your memory definitely held the glow for you. Beautiful! (K)
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Aw, thanks very much Kerfe – I tried to take a ‘mental photo,’ sometimes it works better than others, haha! π
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This worked well! I’m so impressed with your work, Rebecca! I knew exactly what time of day it was before I read your post about it, so I think you succeeded brilliantly! πππ»
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That you could tell it was evening sun music to my ears, Charlie – thank you very much! π
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Yes, this is a standout piece of gorgeousness right here!!! Really beautiful work Rebecca!
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Hi Laura, thank you once again! I’m really enjoying your animal faces at the moment… π
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I’m so glad, Rebecca! It means a lot to me that you are, because you are so, so talented! Seriously, this painting is a real stunner. I bet if you look back at this in a month, you’ll even be wowed by it. I love everything about it. It’s wonderful!
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β€ π
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“Quiet drama…”, said Michael.
“…and I’ll have that.” said I.
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Hahaha, this made me chuckle! Thank you. π
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Everything about your painting is warm, inviting, spontaneous and filled with rich color. I like how you have captured the shine in the wood with the reflections. Give yourself a pat on the back for a wonderful sketch of life.
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Sharon, you say the nicest things! Thank you. π
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You created a really nice atmosphere on this picture. I can totally imagine the fading sunlight. Beautiful!
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Thanks very much, Ann Christina! π
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I love the warm glow you created here, Rebecca! I think painting quickly helps us to SEE our subjects more clearly. You do such beautiful work! π
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Yes Jill, I think you’ve hit on something there – more time spent looking rather than doing usually repays us I think. A bit like the old saying, ‘measure twice, cut once,’ I guess. I’m really glad you enjoyed this sketch – thank you. π
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When I was quickly viewing all the incoming post in my reader I saw your painting and had to stop! It lured me in. It’s so beautiful and inviting. It really warmed my soul on a very cold winter’s day. The wood is so warm and the blue china pops so nicely. Your line work is so delicate. And to read that you had minutes to pull this off, absolutely amazing and inspiring!
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Oh, I’m so delighted that you had this response to the picture, Cathe! Thank you very much for taking time to let me know. π
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The siennas and blues are out here as well – nice work.
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Haha, you spotted them – thank you very much Graham! π
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Lovely!
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Love your work!
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Thank you Emilio! I very much enjoy yours too. π
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So sorry I’ve missed so many of your lovely posts! This is grand … I love looking at it.
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Hehe, I’m glad you like it. I’ve been struggling to make posts, and to read everyone else’s too, recently. But it’s a real delight to sift through the Reader and see what everyone’s been up to, isn’t it?
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Absolutely delightful and inspiring, too.
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Too kind! β€
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