What a difference 6 months makes. Painting in Amsterdam last November, I was struggling to shelter my paper (and beer) from a violent thunderstorm. Now the challenge was not to doze off in the balmy summer sunshine, having walked round and round the curious Canal Museum.
Herengracht is my favourite of Amsterdam’s canals, and in summer the trees throw blue shadows across the bright pavements. This painting began life as a quick sketch in watercolour and ink and a number of colour notes, which grew into the finished painting above.
Prep. Study – Line & Wash
This was the initial drawing. This too would make a decent composition, but I wanted to show more reflections and the way that the buildings recede in the hazy sunlight. This said, the bridge is the obvious centre of interest so it would need to remain the boldest shape in the bigger painting.
Stage 1 – first washes
The first wash was slapped on with gay abandon: a cobalt blue sky, taking on raw sienna and ochre half-way down and brought down oto the pavements. While still wet, I added some more tone to the buildings and ultramarine shadows, then a few minutes later the distant trees. The reflections then went on, dropping in lots of different wet colours for reflections, and lastly the bridge and dark canalside. Throughout, the aim is to keep varying the colour or tone to keep it interesting and avoid the look of an “illustration”.
Stage 2 – Tone and texture
Here comes the detail. Or at least, enough texture and variation to make it look like there’s detail even though there isn’t. The shadows are important as without them it will be impossible to give a sense of what shape the trees are. Is this because I am rubbish at trees, or because I didn’t want to make them over detailed? Hmmn.
Stage 3 – Splash on the trees
By now the hard work of a watercolour is basically done, but it is still far too easy to spoil it. Slightly apprehensive, on went the trees. You absolutely must mix up large pools of colour for this, as any delay is fatal and leads to eye-catching “blooms”. More colour was dropped into the wet wash for variation (and you can see just how wet from the drips on the right).
At this point, I had a panic that I’d never be able to turn this splashy mess into anything approaching trees, and had to have a beer to console myself.
Finishing touches
Lastly, the real detail is added – bridge railings and people, lamps, tree trunks, bikes, near people. This order was deliberate, as the detail in the centre is essential, but I could stop if I felt the rest was beginning to pull focus. I’m surprised quite how little it takes to turn the green splashes into trees. Only in the near tree on the right did I feel a bit of leaf detail was needed. So all in all, I’m happy with it – time to look at more flights to Amsterdam.
Jonathan Bray Art 