11-02-07: Incoming Storm

I added what I believe to be finishing touches to the painting and signed it.

11-01-07: Incoming Storm

This session I worked on the clouds, defining them more.  I also sculpted the waves in the foreground.  Using the #8 Creative Mark Ebony Splendor synthetic flat brush, I repainted the cresting wave that I wiped out last time and highlighted it.  In addition I painted in some of the water that had splashed on the rocks and was trickling down.  William Powell said to be careful to make sure to not add too much.  Otherwise it would look like spaghetti.  I need to take a break to see what it needs now.

10-30-07: Incoming Storm

I added more veridian emerald in combination with Payne's Grey and a touch of blue to the water.  I wiped out one of my cresting waves.  The problem started a day or so ago when I added Payne's Grey to the edge of the wave.  I kept fixing on it until it was unfixable.  For adding the dark edge to the cresting wave it seems that a scriptliner brush works best.  Using the #8 Creative Mark Ebony Splendor synthetic flat brush, I added the highlights to the distant water using a pale yellow - then that part of the water was higher, so I had to raise the rest of it just a touch.  I also worked on the closest cresting wave, trying to make the water appear transparent in some places and dark in the others.  I also added dark edges to the rocks.

10-28-07: Incoming Storm

Using a #10 flat bristle brush and a number 6 filbert bristle brush today I worked on shaping waves and rocks.  The colors were the same, veridian emerald, Payne's grey, white gesso, cad yellow light, a touch of cad orange, and ultramarine blue.  For the rocks I also added burnt sienna and burnt umber.  I underpainted the splashing waves in bluish colors.  I added color, I wiped it out, over and over.

10-27-07: Untitled

I worked on the sky today - the clouds, the sunny area.  The hardest part is the long swept clouds.  Using the 1" Creative Mark Ebony Splendor wash brush and the #8 Creative Mark Ebony Splendor flat synthetic sable brush gave a good edge, but that didn't look right, so I went back to the #4 and the #10 flat bristle brushes to work on the clouds.  Mostly I scumbled, with a little dabbing when the paint didn't want to stick.  I used all the colors that are in the sky already, toning down the green in the mix.  To blend it, you might say I gave it the finger - using the tip of the finger works good to get the paint into the pores.  I stopped when it seemed like I as going to mess it up if I continued.  It's back to Jerry Yarnell's, "Don't piddle, play or putter."

10-26-07: Untitled

I did the upper part of an underpainting for an ocean scene using painting instructions by William F. Powell.  He was painting with oil, so I had to make sure the acrylic stayed wet so I could blend the sky wet on wet.  I used a number 10 bristle brush and a 1" Creative Mark Ebony Splendor wash brush.  I began by painting the sun in the upper center - cadmium yellow light and white gesso.  I also used cad. orange and cad. red, ultramarine blue, veridian emerald and burnt umber, blending out away from the sun in sort of a circle.

After the above dried, using a #10 bristle brush I underpainted the clouds, the water, the distant shoreline, the closer rocks and the beginning of the waves, leaving the area where the waves crest white.  I used the same colors as above.  When I painted the closer rocks, I added cad. red and burnt sienna to the ultramarine blue and burnt umber to make the rock pocket.