John Crompton – Watercolour

Hello everyone, I’m John Crompton and I am studying the Watercolour Diploma with Jem Bowden.  My watercolour painting below was done on NOT paper, using Artist quality watercolours.

I prefer to work from imagination rather than from nature. I wanted to do a simple painting with a very low horizon line. The sky was done wet in wet with a mixture of French Ultramarine and Cerulean blue with Burnt umber added for the cloud shadow. Whilst still wet a scrunched up paper towel was very lightly touched on the upper sky to lift out some wispy clouds.

The background mountains where done whilst the paper was still damp with a mixture of French Ultramarine and Alizarin Crimson mix blending this down to the Horizon line, the background trees where also done in the same colour. The distant field was done in Cadmium Yellow fading out into the mountains. Whilst still wet Burnt sienna was blended into the lower part of this field.

The path was done in the same colour has the mountains and I believe the foreground field was done in a weak wash of French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. The tree hedge and fence where all done in a stronger mix of the same. Once dry the same mix was touched onto the tree and hedge in places to give a stronger tone with little marks placed into the field. Finally Yellow ochre was added to the mix and touched in here and there.

No matter who you are, there is always more you can learn and since I joined the London Art College, my work is definitely improving, it is exciting wondering where it will lead me.

John Crompton
Watercolour Diploma

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