MCC Colouring 101 Wk 3 - Seascapes & Blending

Links: Previous Post, Glenda Waterworth, My Creative Classroom (MCC)

from my sketchbook

Glenda's teaching of how to create both seascapes & skies using various watercolouring techniques has proved particularly exciting for me as some of my favourite images are those associated with the sea. 

Stamp Elusive Images (Chocolate Baroque) UA5SP0261 Seashell Collage,  Ink VersaFine Onyx Black, 

Cardstock Cotman Watercolour Paper Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin 190gsm

 edged with Stormy Sky & Tea Dye Distress Inks,

Colouring Derwent Aquatone Sticks Pastel Pencils, Daler-Rowney Artists' 

Watercolour Pencils & Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencil

It's been hard to know how to use this stylized bird but I'm particularly pleased with the realistic scenery I was able to create for him.

Cardstock Cotman Watercolour Paper Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin 190gsm 

edged with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink,

Colouring Cotman Pan Watercolours

This is a very hit & miss technique using pan watercolours & wet watercolour paper. I was quite delighted by the appearance of what looked to me as if it was the crest of a wave rolling towards the shore - just waiting for a surfer to ride it. My husband called it a tsunami.

Stamp Elusive Images (Chocolate Baroque) UA5SP0328 Mermaid Queen, Ink Memories Black,

Cardstock Cotman Watercolour Paper Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin 190gsm 

edged with Tea Dye Distress Ink,

Colouring Derwent Inktense & Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils

I found it particularly difficult to create a smooth wash using the Derwent Inktense pencils with water  - I lost count of how many backgrounds I created only to find that when I tried to blend a rather blotchy area I only succeeded in making matters worse & I had to start again. I love the detail I was able to add with the Polychromos pencils after the wash was dry & especially how I was able to define the black stamping so precisely since these pencils maintain a sharpened point beautifully.

I did some more testing of the Polychromos pencils on various cardstocks (Neenah Solar White 216gsm, Cotman Watercolour Paper Cold Pressed/NOT Grain Fin 190gsm, W H Smith White Card 220gsm & Southfield Bright White 160gsm) - this time comparing how it was possible to make a smooth transition between two quite different colours blending with a dry paper stump combined with normal layering of colours. As an afterthought I ran my finger over a purely layered sample to see if there was any smudging. All four cardstocks smudged a little under my finger but I had to rethink my earlier assessment of the W H Smith 220gsm White Card, for with normal layering & dry paper stump blending it was the smoothest with no streaking (where a subsequent layer binds on the one beneath it) whatsoever whereas the Southfield 160gsm - until now my favoured cardstock - streaks a tiny bit. I personally do not like the Neenah with the Polychromos & find the watercolour paper too uneven when purely layering without a wash beneath it although it blends beautifully with the dry paper stump. At the end of the day it is a matter of personal taste so the above photo can be clicked for enlarging to allow the making of a personal selection.