Working on the Nungate Bridge

Today I continued work on my picture of the Nungate Bridge.  It is such a strong image and I had started the picture on good quality watercolour paper so I knew I should be able to continue.  I had decided (yesterday's blog) that I should go into the picture with some paler acrylic washes, so I made a start with two pale colours, one based on white acrylic mixed with a little rose madder and ochre and the other with cobalt blue. 

Nungate Bridge - emerging picture?

I then decided to use a little sky blue (mix of prussian and white) and also some red and blue inks (separately and mixed together).  This was a similar mix of paints and inks to those I had used for my Edinburgh Gables picture and this was the look I was aiming for.  Well, I worked at it for a while, painting and spraying it, then I got a graphite stick out, and then some extra oil crayon etc etc.  I wasn't all that happy and so I stopped when it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - emerging picture?

It's looking more painterly now, but I think the blue sky makes it look a little too cheerful.  It is also perhaps a little too studied-looking - maybe I've worked too hard at it, too long.  I haven't brought it home yet, but I'll think about it over the weekend.  I may even go back in to work on it.  I'd quite like to finish it before the 3 Harbours.....but we'll see....