Marlborough Baptist Church. Michele Clamp. Watercolor. 16”x20”
Finished? I think it’s close.
Also – I played around with the color on the ipad before starting this section. Definitely helps.
Marlborough Church Watercolor Finished
Author: Michele Clamp
Scientist turned watercolor artist and teacher.
Dog Watercolor Painting – Spaniel
This is a demo dog watercolor painting of the wonderful spaniel Leo. I’m working with someone who wants to do a series of 3 paintings of Leo and this is the first. It’s great fun and I’m especially pleased with that bow tie.
Dog Paintings are Rare for me
I don’t do a lot of dog paintings. If I owned a dog I would probably do more but I don’t. This means I’m pretty reliant on other people’s reference photos. Of course I could paint dogs from life but I’m not sure I’m quick enough for that kind of thing. I leave that to the pros like James Gurney who, if you don’t already know about him, does a lot of fabulous work of all kinds.
Pet Photos can Vary in Quality
So if I’m reliant on other people’s photos that is usually a problem unless they’ve got a really good eye. You need really good lighting and a good pose to make a decent painting. And a lot of phone snaps (and I include myself in this) aren’t taken in great conditions. A lot of photos of pets are taken from above by a person standing. The lens distortion results in the poor dog’s nose looking 5 times as big as it is in real life which can be quite disconcerting. This is so common that some painters make a whole series of these paintings. They can be quite striking but it’s not for me. My advice if you’re going to do a pet portrait is to try and take some photos yourself. They don’t have to be fantastic but you’ll have more control over the viewpoint, lighting and angle and that can make all the difference.
But Leo Looks Wonderful Here
But the photo for this dog watercolor painting was wonderful. Leo belongs to a student of mine and she wanted to paint him in all his finery. As luck would have it he has wonderful fur to paint. I dread painting a black dog in low light. No form! No shadows! This photo was great and he has a combination of black and white fur which is always a good combination. In fact one of my favorite dog watercolor paintings of mine is this basset hound. It has the same pattern of fur and some decent lighting.
While I’m Here…
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More Spheres with Paul Foxton
Let it Snow! Snowman Watercolor Painting
Snowman watercolor painting. Michele Clamp. Watercolor. 8”x10”
Well it did snow last night and I always like to paint snowmen.
Award winner for Rockport Watercolor
Cleaves St. Rockport Ma. Michele Clamp. Watercolor 16”x20”
Lovely news this morning. Dottie Lawson from the Wellesley Society of Artists just called to say I’ve won the Margaret Fitzwilliam Excellence in Watercolor award for the Fall 2020 Show.
Really didn’t expect anything from this show as the work is always so strong so it was great to hear.
If people are out and about the show is on November 2-30th at the Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington St, Wellesley, MA).
Many thanks to Dottie and Yale at the WSA and especially to the juror Pat Walker.
And some lovely comments. Always great to hear that what you are trying to express comes through.
Rockport Watercolor Painting
I was rootling about on google maps for some possible painting trips and came across this scene in Rockport. I’m working larger than usual which poses all sorts of problems for me but it isn’t currently a complete disaster. I’ll leave it on the easel overnight and look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow. I was going for subtle color but may have undercooked it a little.
