Rob Wigham Watercolours
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        • Kingston to Portessie >
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          • Cullen's Rocky Shoreline
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          • Sunshine at Portsoy
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        • Fordyce Castle and Kirk
        • Lochnagar
        • Glenfiddich Distillery
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        • The East gate, Lincoln Castle
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        • Loch Maree Sunset
        • Loch na Bo
      • Aviation Prints >
        • Patrol's End
        • Homecoming
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        • Lancasters at War
        • Pumas' Desert RV
        • The Airborne Technician
        • The Navy Team
        • Team Lossiemouth
        • Pride of Moray Comes Home
        • 100 Years of US Naval Recon
        • Jaguars on the Break at Lossiemouth
        • Shadow Over Lincoln
        • Coming Home
        • P8: Protect, Serve, Defend
        • Lossiemouth Departure
        • Spitfire
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        • Top Cover
        • Where She Belongs
        • Buccaneer Home
        • 120 Squadron - The First Hundred Years
        • The Old Guard
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        • 100 Years of 39 Squadron
        • Special Delivery
        • Sutton Bank, Northbound
    • The Coastline Galleries >
      • Coastlines One >
        • Strathlene Shoreline
        • Primrose Bay Sunset
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        • Lossiemouth Past and Present
        • Ties that Bind
        • Sunrise at Kingston Beach
        • The Bench at Portsoy
        • The Fisherman
        • Drying the Salmon Nets at Macduff
        • Lossiemouth Summer
        • Covesea Lighthouse from the West
        • The Old Harbour Steps, Portsoy
      • Coastlines Two >
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        • Lossiemouth Harbour
        • Portsoy Harbour
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        • On Roseisle Beach
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        • At Sandwood Bay
        • The Confidence
        • Findhorn Pier
        • Sunset at West Beach
        • Covesea Lighthouse
      • Coastlines Three >
        • The Hopeman Hutties
        • Two Kings, Cullen
        • Bosta Beach to Ourselves!
        • Race to the Surf at Sandend
        • Through the Arches at Cullen
        • Covesea Lighthouse Walk
        • On Findhorn Beach
        • Hopeman Wedding
        • Our Family's Special Beach
        • Among the Rocks at Covesea
        • A Calm Day at Findhorn
        • A Walk on Cullen Beach
        • Rainbow and Cerigo at their Moorings
        • The Best Time!
        • The High Shore, Macduff
    • The Landscape Galleries >
      • Landscapes One >
        • Edinburgh Castle from the Princes Street Gardens
        • A Walk by the Spey
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        • West Beach View
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        • Elgin Golf Club
        • June's House
        • Our House and Family
        • Hill House
        • The View from the Garden
        • A Nice Day For It!
        • Memories of 35a
        • Craigellachie Bridge
    • Aviation Gallery >
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      • Another Straspiration....
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Painting Sandend Harbour - The Last Bit!

2/3/2020

2 Comments

 
If you've read the first two episodes of this little mini-series, I hope you're ready to finish the painting! Without further ado, let's get on with it! Here's where we want to be:
​
Picture
 
And here's where we got to last time, with the roofs of the houses painted (bear in mind that the photos of the work in progress are just quick snaps on my board):
​

Picture

What I didn't mention last time was the chimneys and the roof apexes which have been painted in in their colours. As mentioned previously, for sunlit stonework I tend to use an underpainting of yellow ochre and here it's been overpainted with either raw sienna for yellow claywork or light red for redder versions. The yellow ochre amd the white highlights help to give a sunlit effect throughout. I also keep the colours bright. Chimneys are often stained a dark colour in real life but it's not usually very pretty so I'm happy to keep the colours bright in my painting!

I now have to confess that I didn't take as many photos of the last stages as I would have liked, so please bear with me through the words, which I'll keep as brief as I can.

The next stage is to paint in the shadows throughout the painting. Why do them first? It's because the application of shadows over already painted passages will blur the detail and cause colours to run, which I don't want. By applying the shadows first, and painting colours over the top with a light touch so as not to disturb the paint, this can be reduced - so I put the shadows in first. It does take a little practice to work out how strong to make the shadow washes, especially as they fade a bit as they dry. It helps to make a strong wash - strong enough to be almost black for the densest shadows and then scoop some of it out to make a series of about 3 progressively weaker washes. These will then be the same colour - so will sit well together - but help you differentiate between lighter and darker shadows. My usual shadow mix is the sky blue (normally ultramarine), the sky red, (normally rose madder) to make a bluey-purple, greyed with a little burnt sienna. The sienna is powerful in this mix, so I find it better to mix the purple then add brown a bit at a time until the right degree of grey is obtained. How much you grey it is up to you. I prefer to keep my shadows purple-tinged for colour effect but if you add a bit more burnt sienna you can make a flat grey - it's personal preference!

I apply the shadow colours with a round brush in a 'drawing with the brush' style. I bear in mind that the stronger the sunlight, the darker the shadows. But equally, I also remember that shadows still have some light. For example, the left hand walls of the houses here will be quite dark with the sun coming from the right - unless they stand opposite a white wall from the house opposite, which will illuminate the shadow area with reflected light. It all makes sense if you think about it - and as usual close observation of the subject is the key!

Having done the shadows, it is a simple matter to go around and lay colours for the houses and streets over them. I also add windows, drainpipes etc at this stage. Before commencing either of these stages, I applied masking fluid to protect any foreground objects like trees and leaves so, once the shadows, colours and details have been applied to the houses, I remove that. We've now got to this stage: Only really the vegetation in the foreground to do!


​
Picture

I hope that you will see that the level of detail I have applied in the stages so far is not very great. It's a mistake to think that detail is everything, I think. Rather, a few carefully placed squiggles do a better job of suggesting the detail the viewer's brain thinks is there.

Moving on to the greenery in the foreground, you see here a favourite 'trick' of mine, which is to split it into sections and use masking fluid to suggest blades of grass or leaves in the nearer vegetation. With the masking fluid in place, I add the furthest greens, adding shadow mix as I get lower. This darkness makes a great contrast with the lighter grass leaves I will paint later and suggest a mass of leaves at the same time!

To give a 3-D effect to the green colours, I'd suggest you need at least 3 tones. So, for trees, I mix 3 washes: a light yellow wash, usually with lemon yellow featuring strongly. The mid-green will be either sap green knocked back with raw sienna or another combination such as Payne's Grey with Transparent Yellow. Finally, I mix a dark green by adding either shadow colour or more Payne's grey. I start by laying in a blob of the lightest wash on the sunlit side, mixing it wet in wet with the middle green for the 'middle' of the tree, and then adding dark once the tree is on its way to drying (to stop the dark spreading too far). By leaving those white 'sparkles' of light on the sunny side we can create the effect of vegetation glimmering in the light, with warm, dense shadows.

Finally, the foreground grassy area is painted. Because this is foreground, I want warm colours (red-biased) so mix warm and dense green washes, adding a little sky red and light red to the mixes. I mask a few dots for flowers (even if they're not there in the real world - life's too short to have no flowers!) and then apply the foreground wet-in-wet. I don't want too much detail in the foreground, just a suggestion of detail and warm flowing colours that suggest that the vegetation is close to us. By suppressing detail we force the viewer's eye elsewhere and apply a metaphorical 'nothing to see here' label - so their eye goes up to the main picture, where we want it! In particular, you will see that I give almost no detail on the bottom few centimetres.

Once this wet-in-wet wash is dry, I go back with a few dark hints to suggest shadows between leaves and blades of grass. Here 'less is more' is the secret, as too much of it will darken the foreground and give it too much emphasis, as well as spoiling the effect.

And that's it! We're done! At this stage I normally go and leave the painting overnight without any further thought. A glass of wine helps here (notice a theme here!?!). The next day I come back with a fresh eye. Mostly I now just tidy up detail and add some more contrast where needed - stronger darks, lighter lights and sometimes a blob of permanent white gouache if necessary. But then I leave it. Too much fiddling spoils the 'immediacy' and spontaneity of the painting, so it's best left as it is.

And here's the final result in better lighting conditions: 'Sandend Harbour from the Brae', watercolour, 54 x 35 cm. The original and prints are available to buy - see www.robwighamwatercolours.com/available-work.html for details! I hope you have enjoyed this little series and have found it helpful. All the best, Rob.
​
Picture
2 Comments

    Author

    A professional artist living and working in the beautiful north of Scotland. My work is realistic and quite traditional, though strongly interpretational in nature. My inspiration is the beauty of Nature, and the wonderful colours and moods she shows everywhere.

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  • Home
    • Available Work >
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      • Coastline Prints >
        • Nairn to Findhorn >
          • On Findhorn Beach
          • Findhorn Shoreline
          • Nairn Harbour Sunset
          • Sunset at Findhorn Bay
          • Evening Calm at Findhorn
          • Findhorn Sunset
          • Looking West from Nairn Beach
          • Nairn Harbour from Central Beach
          • Evening in Findhorn
          • A Walk on Roseisle Beach
        • Burghead to Hopeman >
          • Burghead from the Beach
          • Hopeman West Beach
          • Burghead from Hopeman Beach
          • On Cummingston Beach
          • The Beach Huts at Hopeman
          • Hopeman Harbour Reflections
          • Hopeman Harbour and Beaches
          • Sunshine at Cove Bay, Hopeman
          • Burghead Harbour from the Sea Wall
          • Fishing Boats in the Inner Harbour, Burghead
          • Hopeman Harbour from the Headland
          • Ketches Unloading at Hopeman
          • Sunsrise Over Burghead
          • Cummingston Sunset
          • Low Tide at Hopeman
        • Lossiemouth >
          • Two Bridges at Lossiemouth
          • A Walk on West Beach, Lossiemouth
          • Lossiemouth's Old Bridge Sunset
          • Lossiemouth Memories
          • Old Friends
          • Lossiemouth's Old Bridge
          • Fishing Boats at Lossie
          • Covesea Lighthouse View
          • Sunset Over Lossiemouth
          • Setting Out from Lossiemouth
          • Sunrise Just for Us at Lossiemouth
          • A Walk on Lossiemouth Beach
          • Covesea Lighthouse Sunset
          • Covesea Lighthouse from the Beach
          • The Old Bridge, Lossiemouth
          • Lossie Beach to Ourselves!
        • Kingston to Portessie >
          • Sunset on the River Spey
          • Kingston Beach
          • Setting Out from Buckie
          • Memories of Portgordon
          • Over the Yardie at Buckie
          • The Rooftops of Portessie
          • The Spey Viaduct from the River
          • Strathlene Caravans
          • A Walk at Strathlene
          • Buckpool Shoreline
        • Findochty to Cullen >
          • Through Cullen Viaduct
          • The Two Kings at Cullen
          • Cullen Harbour View
          • Findochty Harbour
          • Over the Rooftops of Cullen
          • The Ruins of Findlater Castle
          • Findochty Shoreline
          • Cullen Auld Kirk
          • Portknockie Harbour View
          • Sunrise at Bow Fiddle Rock
          • The Harbour at Portknockie
          • Seatown from Castle Hill, Cullen
          • Cullen's Rocky Shoreline
          • Morning Light Above Cullen
        • Fordyce and Portsoy >
          • Portsoy View
          • Summer in Portsoy
          • Sandend Harbour from the Brae
          • Tom's Jetty, Portsoy
          • Portsoy Caravans from the Brae
          • Portsoy Memories
          • Portsoy's New Harbour View
          • Sunshine at Portsoy
          • Summer at Portsoy (Greyscale)
          • Fordyce Castle and Kirk
          • A Walk at Sandend
          • The Rocks at Whitehills
        • Banff to Pennan >
          • Banff Harbour Sunshine
          • Crovie Shoreline
          • Banff Links
          • Macduff Harbour View
          • Gardenstown from the Old Church
      • Landscape Prints >
        • Springtime at Winding Walks, Fochabers
        • Carrbridge
        • Pluscarden Abbey
        • Elgin Cathedral
        • The North Coast 500
        • The Old Bridge, Keith
        • Keith Town Station
        • Craigmin Bridge
        • Duffus Castle
        • Fordyce Castle and Kirk
        • Lochnagar
        • Glenfiddich Distillery
        • Evening Light, Craigellachie
        • The East gate, Lincoln Castle
        • Inheritance
        • Our People
        • Still Is Our Land
        • Durham Mist
        • The Canmore Engine Bridge, Alberta
        • Loch Maree Sunset
        • Loch na Bo
      • Aviation Prints >
        • Patrol's End
        • Homecoming
        • Pride of Moray
        • Jailbreak!
        • Texans over the Menai Strait
        • 51 Squadron 80th Parade and Flypast
        • Sea King Standby
        • Sentry: 30 Years of Service
        • Lancasters at War
        • Pumas' Desert RV
        • The Airborne Technician
        • The Navy Team
        • Team Lossiemouth
        • Pride of Moray Comes Home
        • 100 Years of US Naval Recon
        • Jaguars on the Break at Lossiemouth
        • Shadow Over Lincoln
        • Coming Home
        • P8: Protect, Serve, Defend
        • Lossiemouth Departure
        • Spitfire
        • The Cabs are Here!
        • Top Cover
        • Where She Belongs
        • Buccaneer Home
        • 120 Squadron - The First Hundred Years
        • The Old Guard
        • 51 Squadron Centenary
        • 100 Years of 39 Squadron
        • Special Delivery
        • Sutton Bank, Northbound
    • The Coastline Galleries >
      • Coastlines One >
        • Strathlene Shoreline
        • Primrose Bay Sunset
        • The Old Boathouse at Binsness, Findhorn Bay
        • Lossiemouth Past and Present
        • Ties that Bind
        • Sunrise at Kingston Beach
        • The Bench at Portsoy
        • The Fisherman
        • Drying the Salmon Nets at Macduff
        • Lossiemouth Summer
        • Covesea Lighthouse from the West
        • The Old Harbour Steps, Portsoy
      • Coastlines Two >
        • The Wooden Bridge, Lossiemouth
        • Lossiemouth Harbour
        • Portsoy Harbour
        • Iona Shoreline
        • Brae View, Whitehills
        • On Roseisle Beach
        • Fraserburgh Beach from Tiger Hill
        • At Sandwood Bay
        • The Confidence
        • Findhorn Pier
        • Sunset at West Beach
        • Covesea Lighthouse
      • Coastlines Three >
        • The Hopeman Hutties
        • Two Kings, Cullen
        • Bosta Beach to Ourselves!
        • Race to the Surf at Sandend
        • Through the Arches at Cullen
        • Covesea Lighthouse Walk
        • On Findhorn Beach
        • Hopeman Wedding
        • Our Family's Special Beach
        • Among the Rocks at Covesea
        • A Calm Day at Findhorn
        • A Walk on Cullen Beach
        • Rainbow and Cerigo at their Moorings
        • The Best Time!
        • The High Shore, Macduff
    • The Landscape Galleries >
      • Landscapes One >
        • Edinburgh Castle from the Princes Street Gardens
        • A Walk by the Spey
        • Summer Wedding
        • Dad's House
        • The Falls of Tarnash, Keith
        • Raemore
        • The East gate, Lincoln Castle
        • The Forth Bridge at Sunset
        • The Cow and Calf
        • Eilean Donan Castle
        • The Shores of Loch Maree
        • Evening in Krems
      • Landscapes Two >
        • The Boys at Walla Crag
        • King's College Chapel, Aberdeen
        • The Old Town Square, Prague
        • The Eiffel Tower from Across the Seine
        • The Birch Woods
        • Woodhall Wedding
        • Spanish Villa
        • Harlaxton Manor Wedding
        • Mullagh Tower and Tullamore
        • Elsie's Croft
        • Honeysuckle Cottage
        • King's College Chapel Wedding
      • Landscapes Three >
        • Speymouth View
        • Jane's House
        • The Mormond Hill Stag
        • Climbing Mount Olympus
        • Idyllic Childhood
        • The Spey Viaduct
        • The Old Schoolhouse, Drumnadrochit
        • West Beach View
        • Father and Son
        • Elgin Golf Club
        • June's House
        • Our House and Family
        • Hill House
        • The View from the Garden
        • A Nice Day For It!
        • Memories of 35a
        • Craigellachie Bridge
    • Aviation Gallery >
      • Nimrod MRA4
      • Continuity
      • Another Straspiration....
      • The Red Arrows Perform the Gypo Break
      • First Blood at Elham
      • Allies
      • Falcon Heavy's First Flight
      • Double Trouble
      • 29 July 1988
      • Typhoon Touchdown!
      • Saint's Return
      • Tanker Trail
      • Thunder over the Bay
      • Storm Break
      • Home at Sunset
      • The Escaping Airman
      • Lt McLeod Wins the Victoria Cross
      • The Green Spot
      • Away Just in Time!
      • The Grey Lady
      • The 'Peel Off'
    • The Pets Gallery >
      • Laddie
      • Broxi
      • Chelsea
      • Bramble
      • The 3 Amigos
      • Boris
      • The Boys
      • Izzy
      • Carrie and Flynn
      • Patch
      • It's a Dog's Life
      • Alfie
      • Jura
      • Arnie
      • Barney and Bray
      • Diego
      • Six Beagles!
      • Guess Who's in Charge?
      • Ben Out Walking
      • Dave
      • The Boys
  • New 'Mini' Range
  • Rob's Blog
  • About
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