From colour studies to finished paintings

Working from ideas to finished paintings

Pastel on paper - idea for alum at Saltwick Bay

Pastel on paper - second idea for alum on Saltwick Nab

Detail from painting of alum on Saltwick Nab (as yet untitled)

So the warm reds and violets of the alum remnants on the top layer of Saltwick Nab actually worked out quite well. The final painting actually went back and forth between the two original concepts. First with lots of lines and a vertical edge, but on the left hand side. Then I added layers and softened it into a flatter single top horizon. Then went back in with pencil to re-create the geology lines. Then finally decided the vertical edge was quite important, compositionally speaking, and re-established that but on the right hand side instead. The biggest challenge in this one was actually the large area of grey (not all shown in the detail). I needed to keep this grey quite warm in tone and it very easily kept going green tinged.

 

Rather bad colour sketch trying to "envelope" Black Nab in blues and greys of water and sky

Detail from finished painting of Black Nab

The second painting was less developed at the sketch stage because I've had the idea for this one in my head for a very long time. Compositionally I wanted to center Black Nab on the canvas with just slips of light on either side of the rock formation. I've painted Black Nab so many times I feel I can approach this one with a bit less preparation! The other paintings, however, have mainly been with the blackness of the nab itself on a side of the canvas.

An odd thing happened with this one though and neither blue "side" would work for me. I kept repainting and repainting the soft blended glazes, and then painting back in the dark rock. Frustrated, I decided to play with the golden light along the water's edge. Since this was low down I turned the painting just for easier brushing.

And voilà! There was the nab. What had been the water and sky fell naturally into place as the sides. I pulled down the hazy blue of the new sky a bit more so the rockface could melt into the blue.