Nungate...Finally

Yesterday and today I've been back in the studio trying to finish off the Nungate picture. We have to hand in our pictures for Cockenzie House a week today, so today was the day I felt I needed to have all pictures for 3 Harbours finished.

In order to warm up a bit I did another big sketch of the same subject - started in charcoal and added pencil and white conte.  When I had finished, today, it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - Drawing

 Then it was back to the painting. I find it so difficult when I'm trying to improve on a picture and not lose what I consider to be the good bits.  That's where my tendency to overwork a picture kicks in.  So this time I spent a bit of time looking at the picture and noted down that I wanted to tone down the sky, 'improve' the stonework on the bridge (really by toning it down a bit), and adding more interest to the stonework under the arches.  It was only at this point that I realised the picture is absolutely full of stonework of different types - coursed rubble in the bridge, random rubble of the river wall and a mixture of rubble in the house.  Anyway, by the time I had finished today, it looked like this.

Nungate Bridge - Painting - Finished?

A very interesting exercise.  Which is better - drawing or painting?  I suppose they are just different - not comparing like with like.  The question I must address now is whether or not I should get the picture framed ready for 3 Harbours. The composition is quite strong, but maybe my painterly treatment just not exciting enough...

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....

Focus in the Studio...

I thought I would carry on from Tuesday's sketches and focus on the Nungate Bridge.  Started by mapping out the composition out in charcoal.  I noticed in doing this that there are some good abstract values - the angles of the roofs matching the angles of the bridge and the repetitive verticals.  It's quite a strong composition.

After the first charcoal drawing I rubbed it out a bit then drew back into it, still working in charcoal. Improved the composition a little too.

Then I added a bit of oilbar followed by water and then some black ink.

Then I wanted to work on the texture of the stonework so used oil crayons in various colours and some red ink which I used on its own and also mixed with the black ink.  Also applied water spray.

 

I continued to work at the textures, including the water, also adding white acrylic, but then I was really not sure what to do next. So I stopped. 

 On reflection, I think I now need to go in with restrained washes to tie the picture together - aiming for a finish not unlike my Edinburgh Gables.  So we'll see what I can do tomorrow.

East Lothian Sunshine Sketches

Looked up at the sky this morning and decided it was a day for sketching (oh - such freedom!).
So off to East Lothian to try and capture some iconic images on the best day of the year....

Spent most of the day in Gifford.  I focused first on the church, which I discovered is actually Yester Parish Church .

Pencil sketch, Gifford

 I walked round the back and did another sketch from the back of the building

Charcoal sketch, Gifford

The sun was still shining, so I returned to the hall.

Another pencil sketch, Gifford

 Then I thought I needed a change of scene, so went off to Haddington.  Managed to do a couple of quick sketches of the Nungate Bridge.

Graphite sketch of Nungate Bridge

Another sketch of the Nungate Bridge (oil crayon on coloured ground)

I thought that was enough for the day. Must get back into the studio tomorrow, whatever the weather.