I went ahead with the quin violet and cadmium yellow in the reeds but also added a naples/azure mix into the shadows. Over the top is a glaze of raw sienna bringing back the warm light which continues into the water.
Areas had been softened in the reeds but it was still too hard edged for my liking and so I had my moment of madness.. I needed slightly more textural broken marks in the bottom reeds so using a side of card I printed in additional stalks. I think it 'works' but I'm not sure if I should bring it up higher on the left, the problem being that it would be very easy to get carried away. I going to live with it for a while, hide it in a drawer for a week and then sneak up on it.
This is a tricky one isn't it! You have darks in the distant reeds and also of equal value in the fore ground reeds. Are you using a photo reference? I would soften the distant reeds so that the ones in the foreground really stand out. I would also glaze over that white in the water as it looks a bit like snow has fallen in the water. Yet having said that I can see that white light on the water is that bright. Try a gold glaze over the white just so it knocks it back, you only need a touch of glaze and you can wipe it off if it looks wrong. The water colour is really beautiful and the drawing aspect of the front reeds is really good. Have you tried using zinc white as it is transparent you can use it to knock back any harsh edges in a painting with a hint of another transparent colour in with the zinc you will have more control on the colour of the glaze too. Don't give up this is acrylics so you can still make wee alterations that will make a difference, if you work quickly you can lift off any of the paint you don't like. It is a risk to do the changes but that is the learning bit. I guess that is why I like oils as they take much longer to dry so you can make alterations more easily.
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline. Thank you for spending so much time to comment I'm really grateful. To answer your question I'm using an amalgamation of sketches as reference. I've used zinc white in the water and the section at the top with the reflections. The sparkle on the water has had a glaze of raw sienna but I will give it another wash over. I think I may even add a couple of specks of pure colour in this area... just for a walk on the wild side ;o) At the moment though I'm feeling a little blind to the painting so I'll live with it for a few days until it speaks to me. The light will, I think, be very similar this evening so I'll pop down to the river and have another look. Thank you for all the advice and tips, it's great to have another pair of eyes, have a great day.
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