May Challenge

This is the latest photograph in the ongoing (fun) competition between Mick Carney and myself . .www.thepaintingstruggle.blogspot.com/

This is a complicated scene  (I don't know where it is) so the first decision was what to leave in and what to leave out. I decided to omit the canal boat on the left hand side but otherwise follow the basic scene, simplifying as I went. I did a preliminary sketch to see how this would look and then proceeded to do an outline drawing.  If you study the photograph you have two distinct near halfs. The left hand very light side, mainly the building (hostelry?), the largest shape and the dark right hand side, the bridge predominating. I decided not to have such an abrupt separation and deliberately lightened the right hand side, then making the large windows and door of the house as the key elements linking them to the hand rail and the boat under the bridge.

 18 x 15" Waterford High White Not

I painted in stages starting with the top roof and carried on from there linking things up as I proceeded.

Colours used were a mixture of Burnt Sienna, Permanent Carmine, Burnt Umber and Cerulean for the roof, mixing on the paper. I also put these colours in the left hand side of the bridge. Others used were Cobalt Blue and Cerulean for the sky, Raw Umber in various places and for the first time Hansa Yellow Medium (PY97 Daniel Smith) mixed with various blues for the greens, instead of W & N Transparent Yellow (PY150) which I have discarded. I think that's it.

The painting was completed using one brush which was the Da Vinci Artissimo 44 Size 2 Kolinsky mop. This is roughly equivalent in size to something between a 12 and 14 round Kolinsky. A superb brush, one of my favourites even if it is expensive.

Initially I was quite pleased with the result but in the light of the following day have some doubts, which happens all too often. Comments welcome.