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 Watch this space carefully... | Inspired by my favourite Robbie Burns poem this painting will have a semi-abstract feel to the background painted in watercolour with plenty of texture created with salt and wax resist. Then the mouse will be added using pastels. Working this way, you never quite know how the finished painting will turn out so let's hope for a happy ending. |
 | Step 1 I'm using 140lb Not watercolour paper for this, anything of lesser weight won't take the abuse I'm about to give it! I also tape the sheet to my drawing board firmly all around with masking tape which will help prevent cockling. I start with a quick pencil sketch to establish the position of the mouse. Next I strike a few lines with a clear wax candle which will give some patterns of texture when the colour washes are applied. Finally I add some thin lines of masking fluid with a colour shaper, to preserve some fine white bits of twig and grass. |
 | Step 2 Next I tear off a few strips of masking tape, scrunch them up a bit and stick them on to the paper which I hope will preserve some ragged, hap-hazard shapes. |
 | Step 3 After wetting the paper liberally and allowing the water to soak in for a couple of minutes, I then feed in washes of Naples yellow, raw sienna, rose madder, ultramarine violet. I mix darks using French ultra marine blue and light red, using this at the bottom and around the mouse for shadow. I allow the different washes to run into and merge with each other and, while everything is still wet, I hurl in plenty of salt crystals. At this stage I had intended to scrunch up some cling-film and lay this onto the wet paint before leaving to dry which can give some interesting effects, but the way it looks now I've changed my mind. Perhaps next time. So I now allow the paper to dry completely, watching the salt do it's stuff and fighting the urge to interfere. Finally, once completely dry, I remove the masking to reveal the preserved whites. |
 | Step 4 Now, using the same mixed washes as before, I start to pick out shapes that have formed as the paint dried. For once, any usually unwanted 'cauliflower' effects can be put to good use. I add shadow under edges, some veins to leaf shapes and lots of grass-like lines. I paint in the thicker twigs and then, once dry I lift out some of the colour with clean water on a brush, dabbing off with kitchen roll. I also lift out more grass-like shapes in the background. |
 | Step 5 Next I get out my pastels and begin work on the mouse. I find that the well textured watercolour paper takes pastel quite well. I'm using Pitt pastel pencils for this which have a waxy texture and don't necessarily have to be sealed. |
| Step 6 I complete the mouse, paying special attention to the reflections in the eyes. I also use the pastel to blend the shadows of the mouse into the watercolour, particularly underneath him, to make him merge into the composition, rather than sit awkwardly on top. Once safely behind glass and into the natural ash frame I have chosen, I can see that the painting works very well. |
| Click here to view more information about this artwork | |
| Click here for more artworks in progress by Peter Williams | |
