Thursday, September 13, 2012

clarity

Grandfather in Summer
watercolor on cold press
7.5 x 9.5 inches
©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

I have come to the conclusion that what I like the most about painting with watercolor and drawing with colored pencil is the ability to achieve a clarity of color. I suppose it's because both media have a measure of transparency that allows for a sense of light coming through the pigment. I have tried colored pencil on colored supports and can never quite achieve that same clarity of color. The same goes for painting in oil. The opacity of the pigment can muddy the color. As I learn to watercolor with restraint, I am delighted by the richness and subtleties in color that the paint allows.

Above is a view from the top of Grandfather Mountain, captured with my camera this past July. Of course I played with the color just a bit when making this painting. Such fun. I am also playing with putting a watermark on my images that I post on the web. Cause, well, you know. One can't be too careful these days. But I really don't like seeing my name plastered across the image. What do you all think? To watermark or not to watermark?

7 comments:

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

I find myself running on the foreground hills and floating within the distant rolling colors. Ann, this is perfect!!

Debbie Nolan said...

Dear Ann - so lovely - I am with you inre to watercolor being so transparent and letting the white shine through. Also as I play around with colored pencils I am learning the translucency in them as well. Your art as always is lovely. God Bless!

Mari Brown and Colourblob said...

Thats really lovely, it reminds me of sunsets in Vermont. The colours are brilliant and I know what you mean about how the light plays within watercolours, really lovely!!!

For watermarks, I have been thinking about them too... I dont mind them as long as they dont take centre stage of the work. The only thing that worries me about them, is that people can still remove them.

padmaja said...

This is very lovely Ann, I love the way you lined up the colors next to each other in the foreground against the subtle transparent back drop.The foreground work is stealing the show!
The water mark of course takes away some attention.. may be a smaller one at a corner?

Autumn Leaves said...

This is just stunning, Ann. You've perfectly stated and shown why I love watercolors so very much.

Jennifer Rose said...

lovely soft colours :D

i love using coloured paper with cps. i like how the colour of the paper shows threw the cp, but that also means you really have to think about your colour choices to get the right colours in the end

Ann said...

Thanks everyone!
The more I look at this image with the watermark, the less I like that watermark being there. You are right Mari, it can still be removed. I doubt I'll use them really.
And Jennifer, you do really know how to make those cps glow on colored paper! I'm just finding that using white supports makes me the most happy :-)

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