Saturday, August 29, 2009

Chicago River from the Wabash St. Bridge


Because I am old and married and have no life, I have nothing better to do on Friday night than to sit at home and play Doodlypaint Urban Sketcher from 800 miles away.

I've noticed the watercolor paintings that make me purr have strong, dark, almost black elements. Somehow that gives the painting a more realistic feel rather than an illustration look. That's true even if the painting is flowy and "watercolory". It has something to do with "value" but I need to study that concept a bit more. The old brain cells aren't computing.

Thought I would give the black element thingy a shot. I like it.

Process notes:
Need to pratice painting clouds. These clouds are so cartoony I expect to see the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote running across the bridge. The building on the right, Marina Towers, looks a bit unstable. It's supposed to be a round building with balconies that bloop out like flower petals.

Need to work on water too. This is the first time I've attempted to paint water. Granted there's not a lot of wave action going on in the Chicago River but there needs to be a ripple or two here and there.

Decided to quit doing experiments in The Fail Book and do them in the big new sketchbook. It's pages are 8.5" x 11" but I ended up painting tiny because I was tense and the finished size of this (paint edge to paint edge) is 4.5" x 6.5".

Oh well, at least the paper didn't crinkle up like a Ruffles potato chip.

Photo courtesy of blogger bud Uncle Buck; taken on his morning walk to work.

4 comments:

Willym said...

That watercolour so made me want to go back to Chicago. Quite possibly the two best years of my life!!!! Buck's photo is great and you've got it beautifully.

Br. Jonathan said...

I really like your interpretation of Marina Towers! They're so funky, so it might as well be realized in art.

Anonymous said...

Excellent painting...a wonderful interpretation...good job, you are really doing great

Speck said...

Willym - Thanks! I would love to visit Chicago and oogle everything but that would involve the nasty bit about having to fly in a death tube. :)

Buck - Thanks! Glad you liked it and thank you for the inspiration. Marina Towers will probably be mangled in some of my "artwork" a few more times.

Anon - Thank you and thanks for stopping by.