Monday 14 September 2009

Waterways Project: Swithland Reservoir, still day, overcast and about to drizzle

Swithland Reservoir, still, overcast day, about to drizzle, watercolour and coloured pencil, Vivien Blackburn

I visited Swithland Reservoir on a day that was sunny when I left home, but grey and overcast by the time I'd been there a couple of minutes, turning to a light misty rain, dulling colours and contrast.

It's interesting to catch different lights. The foliage in summer is heavy and solid - I don't find that as interesting as spring, summer and autumn, where the structure of the trees shows and colour is more varied. It made for an interesting abstract shape across the centre of the image though, with lots of lost edges and mystery.

It's certainly somewhere to revisit once the autumn colours are advanced.

Watercolours plus polychromos pencils, about 10x9 inches unless I crop it a little - or decide to show the messy edges (they are a bit messy, not just ragged).

4 comments:

Sarah said...

oh! Lovely, I adore greens, this has loads, very moody too

vivien said...

thanks Sarah - I'd rather be down there painting the Cornish creeks I have to admit!

RH Carpenter said...

This has such depth, such richness, and I love the dark colors. I would be so pleased to be able to do this with watercolor pencils!

vivien said...

Thanks Rhonda :>)

- it's actually normal watercolours with scribbles of polychromos

- no watercolour pencils in this one.