Found My Style

While I was out at the cottage with Anna, I had a little time to putter around with my watercolor work.  Mostly Anna and I spent a bunch of time together.  But in the mornings before she got up, and a little bit in the evenings, I chipped away at some painting.  Before heading out I picked up some ink markers, and a couple more brushes that were on sale.

I've combined my watercolor work with some sketching.  My Mom gave me a couple of books about ink and watercolor combined, and that has been my motivation.  I based my most recent piece on a photograph that I took a couple of years ago, up in Lamont County.  It was an old abandoned house on the edge of a snowy field.

I started by sketching in the outline of the building and the background tree line.  Then I put a wash on the sky.  That was followed by adding the colors to the building itself.  I used masking fluid to protect a couple of areas that needed to stay completely white.  Once the color scheme of the building was complete I painted in the background treeline, and some foreground weeds.  Then I went to work with the pens and inked in all the details, and some of the deepest shadows.  That was followed up by some pencil work to fill in some lighter texture in select areas.  I have included a series of snapshots that show the work in progress.  I think this is the first piece that I am truly satisfied with.  This encourages me to push on and attempt more in this style.