Saturday, December 13, 2014

Jeanette's Painting of the Train Station

Hi, folks. Jeanette here. I was standing next to Jim while he was painting the gouache study of the train station last week. I liked the cool light coming in from the west window on the rainy day, and the contrasts on the terra cotta tile floor.  I spent about an hour on the pencil underdrawing before starting the transparent watercolor. 


The scene needed a figure so I added Scott Anderson and his French easel. Later, though, a passenger with the perfect silhouette walked through my scene, so I put her in as well. She stopped for just a second and looked around, and then kept going. I quickly penciled her in and then painted her from memory.

I was using a Stillman and Birn hot-press Zeta Hardbound Sketchbook (5.5 x 8.5 inches) watercolor sketchbook. I love the heavy 180 lb. non-buckling paper and the vertical format, but it's a challenge for me to get smooth washes on that surface. The rougher Beta watercolor book gives me smoother washes.

4 comments:

Susan said...

Jeanette, Thanks for showing us your beautiful work! I've been wishing that we could "look over your shoulder" as well as Jim's.

arturoquimico said...

Maestra... couldn't find a "like" button on the blog so I'll comment... GREAT painting and it was nice to see how regular gouache compares to the new acrylic kind...

Rich said...

Wow, another fine rendering of the scene: love that figure, she seems to just be drawing around the corner, caught within a few seconds and "quickly penciled in (and pinpointed) and then painted from memory".

"How to portrait some fleeting person in a hurry?"
Jeanette probably could lecture us...

Rich said...

I'd like to add:
Main focus on this one is on the figures. Love to revisit the exquisitely drawn prominent blonde haired Scott Anderson as well, including his golden hair in harmony with all the warm lights around, all of them enhanced from outside by the cool window lighting.