I'll show you mine if you show me yours (Take2)

[morag]

Gonny no dae that, Bobby, his heid (and eyebrows) will get even bigger!

[bobbydarg]

Nae chance.

[chriso]

lp wrote

Chriso, I left out part of the sketch as it would have been too obvious ( The castle). I'm sure you must have pulled your boat in to Portencross.

I've only visited Porten Cross in a handfull of occasions, so I would never have guessed where it was.

[little plum]

Hughie, Never got to grips with water colours, I,ve one somewhere of the top end of the Busby dam, it's a poor example, but if I can find it , I'll post.

[morag]

Thats very good, L.P., I think you should work at watercolours 'til you find your 'comfort zone'. You are using them the way they were first intended, as a quick sketch for an oil painting to follow, but they have come into their own right. You just have to know where you want your lights and darks and keep putting on layers progressively getting darker.
I guess watercolourists tend to be classified in 3 groups according to how 'heavy' their colour is.
Gary Spetz and Terry Madden have had tv series here, totally different styles. Check out their websites!

[little plum]

That's very good, L.P., I think you should work at watercolours 'til you find your 'comfort zone'. You are using them the way they were first intended, as a quick sketch for an oil painting to follow

Morag pit yir glesses oan, I know my limitations. I made a conscious decision to take some form of artistic medium on my fishing excursions. This example was created during a break in my main pursuit of trout at the Busby Dam, its not easy having a flask of coffee , a sandwich and a paint brush, all with a different purpose. I quickly dropped that idea.

[morag]

I have my specs oan, L.P., you should get some good quality watercolour paper, I like Arches 140lb cold pressed block, and using your sketch above as your 'photo', do a more detailed or more strongly coloured version, always going from lightest and adding the 2nd, 3rd etc lightest. Using a hairdryer to dry each layer speeds up the process but I always feel like a bit of an eejit 'blow drying' a painting!

[little plum]

Thank you Morag, now I know what to do with my redundant hairdryer.