Splashing water on a cityscape can add a nice look and feel to it.
After reading about artist Tim Saternow in the Winter 2012 issue of American Artist Watercolor magazine, I really liked his cityscapes and wanted to try adding drips on my watercolors.
Watercolor is a very technical and precise medium and I have a tendency to get very controlling with it and I though adding drips afterwards might be a good way to loosen up a bit. I will try that same technique on a watercolor portrait see how it works.
How to paint a “splashed” cityscape in watercolor and mixed media
Here are a few pictures of the painting in progress.
Start by transferring your drawing to your watercolor paper.
Then you can preserve a few white areas with masking fluid. In that cityscape I started by an under painting with mostly yellow ocher and a bit of green
Then I added dark grays to the picture and define a few windows with washes.
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
Same palette of traditional colors the great masters used a century ago. Liquid-poured means semi-moist pans respond instantly to a wet brush. 24 pans in plastic case. Also individual pans. – Master Set
When you are done with the big washes, you can take off the masking fluid and soften a few edges with water and a stiff brush. I also added a few darker areas to increase contrast. At this stage you can use watercolor pencils to add details as the colors you add with the pencils will move more than the painted colors when you later splash the painting with water.
I add more definition, mostly to the cars in the foreground and painted a few bright colors for the red lights and street lights.
Next step is the fun part, splash water either with a spray or a dropper or your hands and let it soak in the paper,moving the paint around.
If the water made some stains that you don’t want to keep, you can always take them off with a stiff brush and water.
This is the finished painting, Early this morning, watercolor and mixed media on paper, 15 x 22 inches.
Originally from France, I have been living in North Vancouver, Canada for the past 20 years.
My work has been collected and exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. I am also part of the Art Rentals and sales program of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Many of my paintings have been published in Art books and magazines (Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Acrylic Magazine, International Artist Magazine). I wrote 2 art instruction books with North Light/F+W Books.
I have been writing for the last 5 years for my blog: paintingdemos.com, that has a mailing list of about 10 000 subscribers and about 20 000 visitors per month.
I am an active member in the community, as a co-founder of the North Shore Art crawl, a co-founder of a weekly life drawing group, a board member of the North Vancouver Arts Council, and have been invited as a juror for public art, art grants and juried exhibitions. You can read more about my collaborations here.
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[…] commentsSandrine Pelissier on Watercolor cityscape painting tutorial : Early this morningSandrine Pelissier on How to paint skin tones with watercolor layers : A few tipssiggiofmaine on How […]
I just came across this blog and am delighted you tried dripping. Gorgeous work, Sandrine. I love how this additional layer adds a great deal of mystery to your painting and it also takes off the ‘curse of the hard edge.’ Now try using a ‘sedimentary’ color (Naples yellow, Cerulean, Burnt Sienna…) as a drip or a ‘bloom.’ You’ll find that it sits on top of everything for a more foggy feeling. Or try a ‘staining/transparent’ color (any of the Quinacridones, for instance). This will not cover the under-color but shift the tone and hue. You can also mix any color with Chinese White or Titanium white, and create something known as ‘body color.’ Experiment with different amount of the opaque white and see what happens. Congratulations!
Thanks Tim for your comment, what a surprise! I am a big admirer of your work.
I like ” the curse of the hard edge”! Reading about your technique in the article helped me accept a part of chance and releasing control on watercolor as I like to get technical but don’t want to loose freshness.
In my following experiments with “splashing and drippings” I did add some color to the drips but never thought about adding a whitening color. I will certainly try with some white gouache which I think is very similar to Chinese white. I will also try with sedimentary colors.
I just finished the first phase of painting for a forest landscape, this will be a good opportunity to try either the gouache or sedimentary colors.
Thanks again!!
Sandrine,
Gouache works great, but also try Titanium White and Chinese white. Each has a different opacity. Don’t start too thick, especially with the gouache. Build up thin layers slowly.
One big secret: Have fun! And don’t be afraid of ‘ruining’ something. It always leads to a break0though and a different way to think about painting.
And thanks for enjoying my work. Are you in New York City? My next show opens Oct. 20th at BoxoOffice Gallery – not New York views but my paintings of the High Desert north of Palm Springs.
Hello Tim, I will try titanium white and Chinese white, sounds interesting. I love having more opaque areas to contrast with the transparency of watercolor.
I sometimes have a bit of apprehension of ruining a painting but the excitement of taking a risk is always stronger, if I stop taking risks, get too comfortable then I am not learning anymore.
Unfortunately I am not in New York, I am in Vancouver (Canada). I just looked at the post on your open house on the BoxoOffice gallery blog, interesting to see your interpretation of a smaller town. This will be a great exhibition! http://boxoblog.blogspot.ca/2012/05/open-house-for-tim-saternow-artist-in.html
Sandrine, If you find your opaques too heavy, you can always mist with a spray bottle and dab it up with clean cloth (use an old tee shirt – perfect and save a tree!) or use a brush for a stronger lift. Or, for a total re-boot, wash off the entire painting in the tub. Not everything will wash off, leaving enough information for rebuilding the painting. Be bold — it’s only paper!
My next show will be based on those paintings and drawings you saw in the BoxoBlog, a fantastic artist residency where all I had to do was to paint in the desert. I found the desert all too beautiful, so I sought out abandoned gas stations and old oil tanks.
Send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite.
I love Vancouver!
Hello Tim,
Yes I will try to watch that my opaques don’t get too heavy.
Right now I am painting a series for a group show so I have a few constraints, one of them being that the painting has to be on board or canvas, so I started mounting watercolor paper on board and really enjoy the look. I varnish them after.
Yes, please send me the invitation, my email is [email protected]
Thanks!
Sandrine
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hello Sandrine, Leslie White sent me here. I told her I was taking a weekend workshop with Tim Saternow. I liked your blog post and enjoyed seeing your version of a city scene, saternow style!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog site is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thanks a lot!
That’s great work. I really like your choice of colors and details. That would look great in my apartment!
Kimberly
These are Great! Your a fabulous watercolor…er
I love how you kind of wash things when there is light hitting it, it makes it look real. Like those days when its too bright to decipher what is in front of you
Before the drips, your work is technically amazing, but I do like it much better after the drips. They add some indefinable character to the work that really makes it special.
Adding drips does require one to be brave… because there is that lack of control over what happens. I think they worked especially well in your piece because it contributes to that early morning ‘mist’ and the idea that the viewer is looking through a windshield. Thanks for sharing this.
Your technique is impeccable! I love the palette here, and the wash (I think it’s called) makes it. Watercolor is the most beautiful medium! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you for the play by play – the instant I
saw this my first question was HOW? and you
gave it to me steap by step. I’ve dabled in water
color and learned something interisting – a drop
of water on a leaf leaves a perfectly circular mark
when it dries. A fleck of white and – instant dewdrop!
My approch to water color is more zen, any consious
effort ruins it. I perfer more controll and It’s good
to see you can be realistic with this medium.
lately I’ve wanted to draw more eerie misty images
and I looks like water color is the way to go.
yes rastelly, watercolor is a very versatile medium, it can make very zen and beautiful minimalist paintings and will be great for more eerie paintings too.
I admire your control when using watercolor. i really enjoy the crispness of the buildings and their contrast with the splattered texture. Do you ever feel that your splatter technique will become too much of a distraction for your piece?
I am not sure, I often feel the need to add something to my watercolors, here it is drips but sometimes it is drawings on top or patterns. If the drips were too much distractions I could always scrub off some to make them disappear or at least less obvious.
thatbackpacker
This is better than any photograph! It really captures the mood of traffic.
To someone like who cannot honestly even draw a stick figure- facinating to see and follow the entire process you have. the end result is like a dreamy snap shot of a dark afternoon traffic jam in the rain. beautiful!
I absolutely love “Early this morning.” I find watercolor to be an incredibly difficult medium to work with, and here you have done an amazing job. I really like the tone of this work, I can’t help but stare at it. I’ve dabbled in acrylics, but mostly pencil drawings. Maybe I’ll post a few on my blog and welcome feedback, however frightening that may be. Once again, great work.
Hello Danya, I found that most people will comment on your blog only if they have nice things to say and yes it can feel frightening to share your work at the beginning but you will get used to it fast.
Thanks – this is all terrific and interesting and like the best “how I did its” makes me think I could do it too. I especially enjoy the story told by each of the paintings, as light and color are added and taken away. The changing mood of the driver in each of those cars as the sky closes in.
Merci fransint 🙂 J’ai traduit quelques demos en Francais sur mon site d’aquarelle si ca t’interesse : http://www.watercolorpainting.ca/indexenfrancais.html
mais ce sont seulement des portraits.
Bonne chance avec l’aquarelle 🙂
Have never been able to get my head around watercolour technique. Probably too controlling in somethings and not enough in others. Bit more of a go with the flow splodger 😉 Am flabergasted by your technique – very beautiful. The nerve it must have taken to dribble over your piece made me all of a wobble. The after look is very interesting tho. It gives the clouds more shape and definition (tho if you were going for a smog look this might not be what you wished for) and gives the whole piece the overall effect of a photo thro a rain spattered lens. Very impressive, if I may say so and thanks so much for sharing your work and experiment in such detail; much appreciated.
Absolutely remarkable, I know how difficult a medium watercolour is to work with — so big kudos for that! Thanks for letting us in on your process too.
If this was music, i could play it, but I sure cannot grasp how you create such a beautiful painting. When I paint (seldom) I only see the opaque in the subject. I have never been able to see layers, the way you see that. The use of washes escapes me. I can’t see things that way. I love watercolor when it inspires. Your work is simply outstanding. Thank you for sharing.
I am so happy to have found your blog, I am a closet artist and unlearned, hit and miss and I love watercolours have been trying to paint ‘water’ forever. I like that you share, thank you.
What a great piece for the new technique! I’ve never had the patience or the practice for watercolor (prefer the messes I can create with oil pastel!), but I love what you’re doing with the medium. Thank you for sharing!
I liked it before the water splotches but I LOVE it with them! Definitely the perfect touch.
Beautiful, and congratulations on the Freshly Pressed!
aacohen97
I really enjoy the way you lay out the entire process of each step, very informative and fun! I am a WordPress photoblogger, and this really made me think about pictures that aren’t taken with a camera, and that are just as beautiful! Great job!
Steve
These are really great! Want to hang them on my wall
Superb ! it surely be a high drawing technique ! Drawing was my old hobby too. I also have a posting that contains my drawing. Here is the link http://priajelita.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/hobby-lamaku/ Please check it if you have time. Thank you
Absolutely love the movement within these paintings. Whilst designing interior architecture myself, i try to keep a sense of unknown about the splashes i use. Dirtying the canvas is the most fun part for me, mistakes really just become the true identity of a drawing/sketch.
Hello Michael. I agree I start to think the messing up with splashes it the funniest part, I guess because it is the part where you have to let go trying to control what is happening.
Wow!! This is fantastic! I seldom read the “freshly pressed” posts on here, but this one certainly caught my attention. I’m not much of an art critic or viewer, but I do know how to appreciate good art. And this is GREAT art! Your technique is very interesting…. It definitely adds to the intricacy of this piece. I love the contrast between the sky and the crowded street. Can’t wait to view more 🙂
Thanks Darkhorse3010, watercolors can be tricky to handle … Although I think you can get a very unique quality of light and transparency effects with that medium.
That is a great outcome, and gives the effect of an overcast evening or a rainy smoggy street. The difference between before and after the drips is really quite small, but it makes the painting feel so much deeper and alive. Nice work!
I’m still trying to figure out what medium and surface I want to use when I start. I’ve seen a lot of step-by-step processes for computer drawing (tablet and photoshop), so I’m wondering how different it would be with watercolours, but I’d imagine not so much.
As for the feel and experience, I’d expect that to differ between mediums. I still have a small set of colours that I bought for my art class from high school. I haven’t touched them since, and it’s been five years. I’ve completely forgotten how it feels.
Hello AGIAD, I found that whatever medium I use I always use the same technique which is basically working by layers, even on the tablet.
I paint watercolors on regular watercolor paper (cold press and hot press) and on yupo paper. Personally I don’t think the medium is very important as you can make amazing art with pretty much anything.Good luck with your paintings 🙂
wow, thats incredible… it kind of looks like an old picture. waatercolor is a challenging medium to work with but you did great. i love the smoky effect
This is so beautiful. I have to be honest, I haven’t really thought about watercolour since I was still in school. The word watercolour reminds of old ladies painting their gardens. Nothing so stirring as what you have done here. I love that even though there are no actual people in your watercolour, it’s still a scene that’s full of us. Great universal subject. This could be city.
Thanks Bunny Eats Design , yes I know watercolor has a bad reputation for being kind of bland :-), but I know lots of contemporary artists that are doing amazing paintings with that medium. If you have the opportunity to go through one of the books from the “Splash” collection you can see great examples of modern paintings with watercolors.
Seeing your many postings on the “Freshly Pressed” selections has motivated me personally to take part of my day to read each one. The WordPress family is truly a wonderful gathering of the best of the best that we all are.
I have often thought of painting what i see while traveling in a car Your painting caught my eye immediately as it captures the emotion of morning traffic better than I have ever seen before. How relevant it is to see life today represented by a living artist
Comments (194)
Hélène Duguay
Serait-il possible d’avoir les textes en français?
Sandrine Pelissier
Bonjour Hélène, j’aimerais proposer les textes en français mais malheureusement je n’ai pas le temps de tout traduire.
ge.tt
It is appropriate time to make some plans for the longer term and it is time
to be happy. I’ve learn this submit and if I may I desire to counsel you
some interesting issues or advice. Perhaps you
could write next articles relating to this article.
I desire to read more issues about it!
A rainy Vancouver cityscape with watercolors, step by step painting tutorial
[…] Early this morning- Watercolor on paper […]
Step by Step watercolor layering Demonstration : Imaginary Friend
[…] commentsSandrine Pelissier on Watercolor cityscape painting tutorial : Early this morningSandrine Pelissier on How to paint skin tones with watercolor layers : A few tipssiggiofmaine on How […]
Tim Saternow
I just came across this blog and am delighted you tried dripping. Gorgeous work, Sandrine. I love how this additional layer adds a great deal of mystery to your painting and it also takes off the ‘curse of the hard edge.’ Now try using a ‘sedimentary’ color (Naples yellow, Cerulean, Burnt Sienna…) as a drip or a ‘bloom.’ You’ll find that it sits on top of everything for a more foggy feeling. Or try a ‘staining/transparent’ color (any of the Quinacridones, for instance). This will not cover the under-color but shift the tone and hue. You can also mix any color with Chinese White or Titanium white, and create something known as ‘body color.’ Experiment with different amount of the opaque white and see what happens. Congratulations!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Tim for your comment, what a surprise! I am a big admirer of your work.
I like ” the curse of the hard edge”! Reading about your technique in the article helped me accept a part of chance and releasing control on watercolor as I like to get technical but don’t want to loose freshness.
In my following experiments with “splashing and drippings” I did add some color to the drips but never thought about adding a whitening color. I will certainly try with some white gouache which I think is very similar to Chinese white. I will also try with sedimentary colors.
I just finished the first phase of painting for a forest landscape, this will be a good opportunity to try either the gouache or sedimentary colors.
Thanks again!!
Tim Saternow
Sandrine,
Gouache works great, but also try Titanium White and Chinese white. Each has a different opacity. Don’t start too thick, especially with the gouache. Build up thin layers slowly.
One big secret: Have fun! And don’t be afraid of ‘ruining’ something. It always leads to a break0though and a different way to think about painting.
And thanks for enjoying my work. Are you in New York City? My next show opens Oct. 20th at BoxoOffice Gallery – not New York views but my paintings of the High Desert north of Palm Springs.
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Tim, I will try titanium white and Chinese white, sounds interesting. I love having more opaque areas to contrast with the transparency of watercolor.
I sometimes have a bit of apprehension of ruining a painting but the excitement of taking a risk is always stronger, if I stop taking risks, get too comfortable then I am not learning anymore.
Unfortunately I am not in New York, I am in Vancouver (Canada). I just looked at the post on your open house on the BoxoOffice gallery blog, interesting to see your interpretation of a smaller town. This will be a great exhibition!
http://boxoblog.blogspot.ca/2012/05/open-house-for-tim-saternow-artist-in.html
Tim Saternow
Sandrine, If you find your opaques too heavy, you can always mist with a spray bottle and dab it up with clean cloth (use an old tee shirt – perfect and save a tree!) or use a brush for a stronger lift. Or, for a total re-boot, wash off the entire painting in the tub. Not everything will wash off, leaving enough information for rebuilding the painting. Be bold — it’s only paper!
My next show will be based on those paintings and drawings you saw in the BoxoBlog, a fantastic artist residency where all I had to do was to paint in the desert. I found the desert all too beautiful, so I sought out abandoned gas stations and old oil tanks.
Send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite.
I love Vancouver!
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Tim,
Yes I will try to watch that my opaques don’t get too heavy.
Right now I am painting a series for a group show so I have a few constraints, one of them being that the painting has to be on board or canvas, so I started mounting watercolor paper on board and really enjoy the look. I varnish them after.
Yes, please send me the invitation, my email is [email protected]
Thanks!
Sandrine
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Carol King
hello Sandrine, Leslie White sent me here. I told her I was taking a weekend workshop with Tim Saternow. I liked your blog post and enjoyed seeing your version of a city scene, saternow style!
Bon Voyeur
Gorgeous!
Sandrine Pelissier
Merci Bon Yoyeur!
Sandrine Pelissier
Merci Bon Voyeur !
stelliname
Wow, your work is amazing. I would love to know how to watercolor. Although, the step by step process helped me get the feel of it.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks stelliname 🙂
eLearning
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog site is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thanks a lot!
Sandrine Pelissier
Sure, as long as there is a link to my webpages or my blog that is fine.
The Hook
Incredible work!
artake
AMAZING
gaycarboys
Beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Kevin
Reblogged this on The Fischer Account and commented:
This is simply stunning. Makes me want to actually start painting again.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks for your comment Kevin, and thanks for reblogging 🙂
indowaves
Great effort..
-Arvind K. Pandey
http://indowaves.wordpress.com/
myfuturebluecat
Reblogged this on myfuturebluecat.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks for reblogging, myfuturebluecat 🙂
roumeria
Reblogged this on Hey ROU! Let's Go! and commented:
amaziNg
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Roumeria 🙂
C-Swizzle
awesome paintings…. freshness seen in every painting.. 🙂
girl about town dayton
Your work is so beautiful! It’s exactly what a morning in a city feels like when you’re on your way to work.
mrmarymuthafuckingpoppins
this is fucking awesome. Finally wordpress puts something good on freshly pressed
Papi
Extraordinarily Thank you.
Raawwr!
This is really cool! I recently just picked up some new watercolors again and am anxious to try them out! Thanks for the inspiration!
ErzulieRedEyesArtandSpirit
Very nice i love the hazy grey sky!
literarykitty
Do you sell these?
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello literary kitty, yes I am selling those on my website: http://watercolorpainting.ca/ and I am selling prints on Red Bubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/sandrinepeli and Etsy : http://www.etsy.com/shop/FineArtPrintsStore
literarykitty
Wow these are beautiful – the watercolours really capture that hazy feel!
Jbot
That’s a really great effect. I’ll have to show that to some friends of mine.
stable rug
Those pics are really nice 🙂
starlight
you are so talented and creative.. your painting is awesome..
bondanphotoworks
nice effect
I like it
http://jillriter.com
love it. just love it!
iforhappiness
Wow, this is fantastic. Great work!
Gilberto
That’s great work. I really like your choice of colors and details. That would look great in my apartment!
Kimberly
These are Great! Your a fabulous watercolor…er
I love how you kind of wash things when there is light hitting it, it makes it look real. Like those days when its too bright to decipher what is in front of you
really beautiful stuff
Art by Lowell
This is fabulous! thanks for explaining the process.
starkwe
Before the drips, your work is technically amazing, but I do like it much better after the drips. They add some indefinable character to the work that really makes it special.
Kelly Dycavinu
Adding drips does require one to be brave… because there is that lack of control over what happens. I think they worked especially well in your piece because it contributes to that early morning ‘mist’ and the idea that the viewer is looking through a windshield. Thanks for sharing this.
Sandrine Pelissier
Yes Kelly you are right, but I guess it is also the most exciting part because you could loose all the work you did before or make it better 🙂
prosewithabbitude
Amazing work and skill! Breathtaking how you capture the city.
legitmind
This is awesome!
jaeleaholt
there are marvelous
LegosnEggos
Your technique is impeccable! I love the palette here, and the wash (I think it’s called) makes it. Watercolor is the most beautiful medium! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Buzzz Bizzz
Very talented and a brilliant gift for the world – thanks for sharing.
Grumpa Joe
I wish I could do that!
rastelly
Thank you for the play by play – the instant I
saw this my first question was HOW? and you
gave it to me steap by step. I’ve dabled in water
color and learned something interisting – a drop
of water on a leaf leaves a perfectly circular mark
when it dries. A fleck of white and – instant dewdrop!
My approch to water color is more zen, any consious
effort ruins it. I perfer more controll and It’s good
to see you can be realistic with this medium.
lately I’ve wanted to draw more eerie misty images
and I looks like water color is the way to go.
Sandrine Pelissier
yes rastelly, watercolor is a very versatile medium, it can make very zen and beautiful minimalist paintings and will be great for more eerie paintings too.
Christy
Awesome! I can DRAW that good, but I’m terrible at painting for some reason. Oh well, we can’t all be great artists, but we can all enjoy it!
alirthome
I admire your control when using watercolor. i really enjoy the crispness of the buildings and their contrast with the splattered texture. Do you ever feel that your splatter technique will become too much of a distraction for your piece?
Sandrine Pelissier
I am not sure, I often feel the need to add something to my watercolors, here it is drips but sometimes it is drawings on top or patterns. If the drips were too much distractions I could always scrub off some to make them disappear or at least less obvious.
thatbackpacker
This is better than any photograph! It really captures the mood of traffic.
allamericanclothing
Very nice! Thanks for the step by step with it as well! Would definitely like to try this someday! Thanks again!
Logan
http://blog.allamericanclothing.com/
alicedonovan
absolutely love this.
thanks for sharing your talent
ewfashionblogger
WOW!! What a great watercolour. xx
palechickstudios
Great Painting! you were very successful in capturing the mood of the early morning hours. 🙂
I Made You A Mixtape
To someone like who cannot honestly even draw a stick figure- facinating to see and follow the entire process you have. the end result is like a dreamy snap shot of a dark afternoon traffic jam in the rain. beautiful!
edwardlorn
Love it. Started my day off with a smile 🙂
PCC Advantage
Those cityscapes are incredible!! Beautiful work! 🙂
Dana
I love this. It’s perhaps more remarkable to me since I am not a painter, but I don’t know how much that matters. I really love this.
shanecostantino
Great job! I love watercolour paintings but sadly I’ve never been very good at any kind of painting except paint by number. The last few years though I’ve done some “watercolour” photos of the flowers in our garden.
http://shanecostantino.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/something-im-working-on/
http://shanecostantino.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/garden-watercolours-2011/
Sandrine Pelissier
I like your pictures Shanecostantino, very nice textures 🙂
Danya
I absolutely love “Early this morning.” I find watercolor to be an incredibly difficult medium to work with, and here you have done an amazing job. I really like the tone of this work, I can’t help but stare at it. I’ve dabbled in acrylics, but mostly pencil drawings. Maybe I’ll post a few on my blog and welcome feedback, however frightening that may be. Once again, great work.
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Danya, I found that most people will comment on your blog only if they have nice things to say and yes it can feel frightening to share your work at the beginning but you will get used to it fast.
housearchitect
thank you! beautiful and so cool to see the process!!
7theaven
That’s beautiful work.
When I was about 10 years old I used to draw and colour and make posters. I even won competitions.
Sigh, gone are those days.
These pics just made me relive those memories.
Can’t thank you enough for them.
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello 7heaven, it is never too late to start drawing again 🙂
soulsandfragments
I love watercolors, and this is pretty!
cbowiephoto
Those are great pictures! Love the artist.
Joseph Micheal Neary
wonderful medium for a cityscape. very nice
Aubrey
Beautiful! What else can I say…
sandrarenee
Thanks – this is all terrific and interesting and like the best “how I did its” makes me think I could do it too. I especially enjoy the story told by each of the paintings, as light and color are added and taken away. The changing mood of the driver in each of those cars as the sky closes in.
FitnessPal
Beautiful and stunning 🙂
neelimanair
excellent. love your works!
fransint
J’adore…. !!
fransint
Reblogged this on aquarelliste and commented:
o la la j’adore!
Sandrine Pelissier
Merci fransint 🙂 J’ai traduit quelques demos en Francais sur mon site d’aquarelle si ca t’interesse :
http://www.watercolorpainting.ca/indexenfrancais.html
mais ce sont seulement des portraits.
Bonne chance avec l’aquarelle 🙂
Menaka
Fantastic piece. I can draw really well but can’t paint…so it’s always inspiring to see someone who can paint so well, especially watercolour!
DoF@theinfill
Have never been able to get my head around watercolour technique. Probably too controlling in somethings and not enough in others. Bit more of a go with the flow splodger 😉 Am flabergasted by your technique – very beautiful. The nerve it must have taken to dribble over your piece made me all of a wobble. The after look is very interesting tho. It gives the clouds more shape and definition (tho if you were going for a smog look this might not be what you wished for) and gives the whole piece the overall effect of a photo thro a rain spattered lens. Very impressive, if I may say so and thanks so much for sharing your work and experiment in such detail; much appreciated.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks DoF, I am glad you liked it 🙂
Depending on my mood I am sometimes too a go with the flow splodger 🙂
Cherie
Absolutely remarkable, I know how difficult a medium watercolour is to work with — so big kudos for that! Thanks for letting us in on your process too.
Michele LMS
Such a talented watercolorist!! . . . Thank you for sharing your expertise! Fascinating!
http://arabianmusings.wordpress.com/
Tired, But « sevemanzoor
[…] recently featured a blog post by Sandrine Pelissier detailing a water color painting of a busy city street. The point […]
reggie mateo
I loved seeing the process. Great work!
metan
That is a wonderful picture. Thank you for sharing your picture and the process you used. Oh, if only I could paint!
coppellpianoshop
If this was music, i could play it, but I sure cannot grasp how you create such a beautiful painting. When I paint (seldom) I only see the opaque in the subject. I have never been able to see layers, the way you see that. The use of washes escapes me. I can’t see things that way. I love watercolor when it inspires. Your work is simply outstanding. Thank you for sharing.
moonlit
your blog is really artistic.awesome blog.
best
I love that keep it on
Naomi
I signed on to get some work done, but this piece pulled me right in – Captivating!
Marcel Paraiala
First , I thought it is made on computer then i sow the the steps, great job, now i will see the foggy morning difrent thean before. 😀
Paprika
wowwwwwwww!!! love it 😀 it’s inspiring =)
kevincwwong
Amazing! Love the sense of lighting!
Pavane Mann
I am so happy to have found your blog, I am a closet artist and unlearned, hit and miss and I love watercolours have been trying to paint ‘water’ forever. I like that you share, thank you.
cookingcollegechick
This painting is lovely! Beautifully done!
Ay
What a great piece for the new technique! I’ve never had the patience or the practice for watercolor (prefer the messes I can create with oil pastel!), but I love what you’re doing with the medium. Thank you for sharing!
The Artist Makena
I liked it before the water splotches but I LOVE it with them! Definitely the perfect touch.
Beautiful, and congratulations on the Freshly Pressed!
aacohen97
I really enjoy the way you lay out the entire process of each step, very informative and fun! I am a WordPress photoblogger, and this really made me think about pictures that aren’t taken with a camera, and that are just as beautiful! Great job!
Steve
These are really great! Want to hang them on my wall
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Steve 🙂
shil
That is beautiful. I wanted to paint as a kid, realized how bad I was and just left it at that.
Sandrine Pelissier
Well, all great painters were once beginners, just keep working at it and you will one day like what you paint 🙂
Maggie Capettini
I love the light and mood you’ve created.
Lulu Simawati
Superb ! it surely be a high drawing technique ! Drawing was my old hobby too. I also have a posting that contains my drawing. Here is the link http://priajelita.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/hobby-lamaku/ Please check it if you have time. Thank you
Sandrine Pelissier
Keep drawing Lulu :-), that’s the basis of any great art.
newmexicomtngirl
I love love love this. and I love misket too
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne
http://cheyannesexton.etsy.com
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks CheyAnne 🙂
michael_beach
Absolutely love the movement within these paintings. Whilst designing interior architecture myself, i try to keep a sense of unknown about the splashes i use. Dirtying the canvas is the most fun part for me, mistakes really just become the true identity of a drawing/sketch.
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Michael. I agree I start to think the messing up with splashes it the funniest part, I guess because it is the part where you have to let go trying to control what is happening.
liveloveyourlife
Wow!! This is fantastic! I seldom read the “freshly pressed” posts on here, but this one certainly caught my attention. I’m not much of an art critic or viewer, but I do know how to appreciate good art. And this is GREAT art! Your technique is very interesting…. It definitely adds to the intricacy of this piece. I love the contrast between the sky and the crowded street. Can’t wait to view more 🙂
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks liveloveyourlife, I am glad you liked it 🙂
Tyler Texan
Beautiful water colors!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Tyler 🙂
Oh God, My Wife Is German
Beautiful watercolor! And I love that you showed the process.
Thank you for sharing!
…following your blog…
Sandrine Pelissier
Thank you and thank you for following the blog 🙂
Spaceman's Hairdo
absolutely adore this…quick question though….in what city does this scene take place?
Sandrine Pelissier
This is Vancouver (BC-Canada) when you drive from the North Shore to downtown on Georgia street.
Thanks for your comment 🙂
Joelle Wilson
Love this. I can hear the traffic moving. Thanks for sharing your work.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Joelle!
poppies-and-lilies-lifestyle
Gorgeous xx
Pamanner
Lovely effect!
pnicholl
Stumbled on your blog and so glad I did. Beautiful work!!!!
Jasmine
So great. I think the drips at the end really take it to the next level. Well done!
magneticwords
Beautiful! I liked seeing the process from start to finish.
Darkhorse3010
Love the step by step coverage, watercolours are one medium which I have had limited success with. Very inspiring to see such amazing work.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Darkhorse3010, watercolors can be tricky to handle … Although I think you can get a very unique quality of light and transparency effects with that medium.
myownprivatemind
I feel as though I am inside a car looking at the windshield when it has been raining. Nice effect!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks myownprivatemind, I took the reference picture while driving 🙂
midnitechef
It’s been so long since I’ve painted a watercolor! This is great 🙂 I love the mood of the final painting.
lionelvaldellon
Loving the way you describe your creative process. Experimentation is key for art!
Peter Parkorr
That is a great outcome, and gives the effect of an overcast evening or a rainy smoggy street. The difference between before and after the drips is really quite small, but it makes the painting feel so much deeper and alive. Nice work!
sangarrafa
Amazing work, i love how you handle with shadows and textures, pretty amazing.
Cat
How cool! I really don’t have much artistic ability. You clearly do! 🙂
AGIAD(A Guy in a Dress)
Ooh, lovely painting Sandrine.
I’m still trying to figure out what medium and surface I want to use when I start. I’ve seen a lot of step-by-step processes for computer drawing (tablet and photoshop), so I’m wondering how different it would be with watercolours, but I’d imagine not so much.
As for the feel and experience, I’d expect that to differ between mediums. I still have a small set of colours that I bought for my art class from high school. I haven’t touched them since, and it’s been five years. I’ve completely forgotten how it feels.
What surface do you recommend for watercolours?
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello AGIAD, I found that whatever medium I use I always use the same technique which is basically working by layers, even on the tablet.
I paint watercolors on regular watercolor paper (cold press and hot press) and on yupo paper. Personally I don’t think the medium is very important as you can make amazing art with pretty much anything.Good luck with your paintings 🙂
moonlit
canvas
frivolousneeds
I am a newb with watercolour and your post has been of great inspiration! The splashes at the end DOES make the painting better! Thank you.
David McClurg
Very nice work. I’m impressed by the result. I like the breakdown that you gave as well, it really shows all the hard work that went into it.
Keep up the good work!
Richard Guest
Fascinating process – very generous of you to share it with us. Thank you.
valentinedee
The final painting is gorgeous. I love the look and texture. Nicely done.
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
Keith Donald Art
great work
Sarah Harris
I love the step by step instructions! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks!!
ashazenzi
this is friggin awesome. thanks for sharing the process! 🙂
Lauren
Love what watercolor looks like! You can do so much with it. Your paintings are beautiful!
twistedsistersdesign
Beautiful! Great work 🙂
conniewalden
Great art work. A lot of talent is displayed. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
LadyT
wow, thats incredible… it kind of looks like an old picture. waatercolor is a challenging medium to work with but you did great. i love the smoky effect
John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet
This is so beautifully done. Thank you especially for sharing your step by step process on the actual painting.
Arindam
You are really a wonderful creative person. This one is one of the most interesting and beautiful post I have ever came across. Best wishes to you.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thank you Arindam 🙂
annikaritter
This is beautiful! You’re very talented!
saileshbhupalam
Great work of art! 🙂
mypathforward
inspirational and beautiful. I love this piece. Totally captures how I was feeling on the first day of February!
lobsterboy
love seeing the process, the results are beautiful. Thanks for sharing
aFrankAngle
Very nice …. as I enjoy the softness of your colors here.
Jayati
beautiful painting !!!
and with watercolor its even more amazing 🙂
Tricia Aanderud
I love it – you did a great job capturing the mood.
dispatchesfromthepotomac
I love this! I admire anyone who works in this most puzzling medium to me. Well done, beautiful painting.
Carlie Chew
Beautiful work!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Carlie 🙂
Bunny Eats Design
This is so beautiful. I have to be honest, I haven’t really thought about watercolour since I was still in school. The word watercolour reminds of old ladies painting their gardens. Nothing so stirring as what you have done here. I love that even though there are no actual people in your watercolour, it’s still a scene that’s full of us. Great universal subject. This could be city.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Bunny Eats Design , yes I know watercolor has a bad reputation for being kind of bland :-), but I know lots of contemporary artists that are doing amazing paintings with that medium. If you have the opportunity to go through one of the books from the “Splash” collection you can see great examples of modern paintings with watercolors.
Alice Kaye Grateful One
Your are a Visionary. Thank you for the gift of your works! Alice
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Alice, that is a very nice compliment 🙂
Cathy
Lovely!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Cathy !
Mikalee Byerman
You are incredibly talented! To be able to capture the nuances of such an intricate image — with watercolors?!?! I’m impressed…
🙂
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Mikalee 🙂
John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet
Milalee,
Seeing your many postings on the “Freshly Pressed” selections has motivated me personally to take part of my day to read each one. The WordPress family is truly a wonderful gathering of the best of the best that we all are.
The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife
your blog layout and style is so artistic. i feel artsy just commenting here. great work!
Sandrine Pelissier
hehe! Thanks 🙂
Pat Provost
I have often thought of painting what i see while traveling in a car Your painting caught my eye immediately as it captures the emotion of morning traffic better than I have ever seen before. How relevant it is to see life today represented by a living artist
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Pat ! I am the same I often see scenes I would like to paint while driving, the trick is to take pictures safely while driving 🙂
Sophie
Really captures the foggy morning downtown.Love it!
How big is it?
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Sophie, the painting is 15 x 22 inches , so about 22 x 30 inches with mat and frame.
Holly Herick
I love seeing your process. Great work again.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Holly!
dianajhale
Hey this is interesting – love the cityscapes!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Diana 🙂