Monday, February 18, 2013

LITTLE BLACK CALF REDO


It's better than the first version. 

I used Indanthrone Blue + Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet for the mix on his body - with a touch of Chinese White on his back and knees to lighten them a bit. 

I've gone through the JSSargent book and drooled over the paintings there - that man loved to travel and returned to the same places over and over to document and paint what he saw.

Now on to the second book I got for Valentine's Day - which should take me a month to go through!  But already learning more about watercolor - and American watercolor, in particular. 

9 comments:

AK said...

This is fabulous. Painting like Sargent is a dream you share with a lot of water color enthusiasts.

Vicki Greene said...

I went back to look at your first one again and yes you have improved on every part of it - the calf, the background and the wall. This is a really terrific painting!

Autumn Leaves said...

Oh that little calf looks just ready to cuddle!! I think this is a wonderful piece, Rhonda.

Lisa Le Quelenec said...

The darks are lovely and I like the variation in the brush marks of the bands. Very nice!

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Asit! Yes, Painting like Sargent, Homer, and other greats of the early days of watercolor is a goal - but perhaps we should all just paint more like ourselves? ha ha Hard to be happy when one is constantly comparing oneself to a master painter!

Vicki, thanks so much. I'm happy to know I can learn from my mistakes - and there were a lot of them in that first version!

Thanks, Sherry and Lisa :) I appreciate your comments so much.

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

I agree with CrimsonLeaves - this boy is a cuddler! Great job with the lights and darks. His body volume really comes through.

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

I like this much better than the first one too Rhonda, as much as I miss the crack in the wall of that one :)

But I love the volume and how you played the colours on the calf in this one, and the white wall works so well to bring him up, also adds a graphic looks to the painting, doesn't it?

So, are you turning this into a series of calf-against-a-wall paintings?

Unknown said...

This is really looking good, RH. I can see how much more depth your subjects have lately just by the use of your techniques.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Pam, Teresa, and Kevin, for your comments on this one. For some reason the touch of Chinese White flowing over his haunches did give it some volume he didn't have before.