Another painting work in progress - but it didn't go quite to plan!
By Sharon Elton
@sharonelton (30756)
Lichfield, England
February 1, 2024 7:29pm CST
This picture was supposed to be an acrylic painting in the watercolour style. It didn't quite go to plan!
I did it following a demonstration in my new book Acrylics For the Absolute Beginner. I got my cobalt blue out of my new set of paints. I made a dilute wash of Cobalt blue and white, I painted in the sky using long strokes from left to right - or that was the plan. Because I didn't manage to get it to go in a straight line, I stopped and went back to fill in a gap I'd left!
Then we were supposed to wash and dry the brush and then use it to lift out some of the paint to make clouds. That didn't go to plan either! Maybe it was because I didn't get the brush dry enough that it didn't work.
Anyway I went on to the next stage, which was to add grey to the bottom of the clouds, then push it upwards to merge with the bottom of the clouds.
I left that to dry for a bit.
The next stage was to paint in the distant hills by adding a touch of alizarin crimson to the previous grey mix and use a dilute mixture of that to paint in the distant hills. Now I don't have any alizarin crimson, so I used scarlet instead, and I either added too much scarlet, or I didn't get it dilute enough, but it ended up.looking much too bright and thick, as you can see! I diluted it a bit more for the other hill on the right which is even further away.
Next stage was to put in distant trees with a mix of raw sienna and hookers green. I haven't got any hookers green either, so I used viridian instead. That didn't go to plan either. You were supposed to put it in using a dabbing motion. But it all looks like a mass of green with nothing to distinguish each tree from each other. And that was after adding a bit of the cobalt blue for shadow areas! Then you had to do the trees that were a bit nearer with the same technique but doing bigger dabs and using less dilute paint. But it looked just the same consistency to me!
And that's where I finished it for tonight. As I said, it didn't go quite to plan, but practice makes perfect as they say!
I hope you've all had a nice day.
Have a great night. 

5 people like this
5 responses
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
3 Feb 24
Yes, I like to be busy. I'd like to do even more painting, so I need to get rid of my old computer to free up space on the desk in my bedroom. But, yes, I should be busy for a while. And yes, practice makes perfect! 
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502573)
• Italy
3 Feb 24
@sharonelton - I am also busy getting rid of things we do not need to free space in our rooms and our desktops.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
4 Feb 24
@LadyDuck Yes. I sorted out the bottom of my wardrobe today. (Well, one of them!) I've got some things to take to the Oxfam shop now next time I go down town!
1 person likes this

@JESSY3236 (22245)
• United States
6 Feb 24
I finished my best friend's diamond painting. I will post a picture of it next week. I am thinking about tweaking it a little bit because one of the words don't stand out like it should.
1 person likes this

@JESSY3236 (22245)
• United States
13 Feb 24
@sharonelton Here is the diamond painting.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
13 Feb 24
@JESSY3236 Oh, wow! That is so good! 
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
7 Feb 24
Wow! That's excellent. I hope your friend likes it. I'm sure she will. I hope you can tweak it so that it looks better.
1 person likes this

@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
4 Feb 24
Thank you very much, that is very kind of you. It has taught me to test it out on a spare piece of paper first. I hope I do better next time.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
3 Feb 24
Yes, exactly. I don't expect to paint a perfect picture every time, but I will get better and better with practice. 
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222534)
• United States
2 Feb 24
You will get better and better as you practice and find out what works and what doesn't. Have a good weekend.
1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (222534)
• United States
3 Feb 24
@sharonelton You're welcome.
Thank you very much.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
3 Feb 24
Thank you very much. Yes, that's the plan! 
You have a good weekend too. 

1 person likes this
@sharonelton (30756)
• Lichfield, England
4 Feb 24
@LindaOHio Thank you very much. ?
My pleasure.
Have a good night. 

1 person likes this








