After sunset - harbour mouth

 

Last summer we went for a walk along the beach at the time of sunset and I have already made several watercolours using the reference pictures I have made that evening. After sunset we drove a bit further to see the harbour mouth, or the entrance to the Port of Rotterdam. We still were on the Maasvlakte.

At that time the tide retreated so there were not many ships in sight. Those that were visible were little spots on the horizon.

Much better visible are the Southern or Green harbour light on the side of the Maasvlakte and far away the Northern or Red harbour light on the Pier of Hoek van Holland. These colours could not be seen any more when we were there, it was too dark and they were back lit by the colours of the sunset.

The sun was already behind the horizon but the colours in the sky were still great. It was a calm day and we were very lucky to have such great views. This very calm atmosphere is what I wanted to paint this time and I chose a paper with a rough texture, so the colours of the sunset could blend better than they would have on paper with a finer texture. Because the scene was back lit, the foreground and the rock structure under the harbour light are dark masses without contrast or shadows. Both are made out of basalt blocks but that cannot be seen in the light conditions of the moment I was there.

As said, I wanted to paint a very calm after-sunset mood and I am happy with the result.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this watercolour painting can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

After Sunset - watercolour

This is the second 'After Sunset' painting, this time a watercolour.
I have used the same reference picture that was made by my husband when he was having a celebration in the city of Rotterdam. (see my previous post)

Of course there are differences compared to the 'white on black' painting, the used technique is very different and I really like to compare watercolour to one of the other techniques I use for painting or drawing.

This time the white of the paper still shines through my layers of dark blue for the clouds and the river. The city is painted in very thick paint, so there will be not much of a background colour visible. 
The buildings were painted after I had made my clouds and river and I have been able to give them some more depth by adding some brushstrokes in another dark colour. The city lights are added between the layers of dark grey and sepia and the result is what I aimed for.
The differences in colour are not only explained by the difference in background, I also use a different set of watercolour paints when I am making a watercolour painting. 
For this I am using Professional grade watercolours and for my 'white on black' paintings I am using a different palette with the white gouache on it so I cannot contaminate my other paints.

More information about this watercolour painting and the 'white on black' I am referring to can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

After sunset - white on black

A few months ago (last September) there was a celebration at my husband's work. The festivities lasted until late, very late at night and all took place in Rotterdam.
My husband had a great day of course, but he also found the time to make some beautiful pictures of the views he had from the Cruise Terminal, where the evening was spent.
He made pictures at the time of the sunset, some before and some after. The sky was beautiful and of course I had to paint this.

Usually I paint the night scenes on 'all black' paper using a mixture of white Gouache and watercolour paints and as much water as I think is possible. 
The black paper still shines through the painted scene, just like the white paper does when I am making a pure watercolour painting.
This quality is what I like about this technique and it really adds to the atmosphere I want to paint.
There are some limits to this, the paint will not flow as beautifully as watercolour does on watercolour paper, so I have to follow the direction of the 'movement' in the clouds with my brush. No vertical lines to define the buildings, these will always be visible and look very unnatural in the clouds. The buildings are not painted, only the light windows.

I have thought about painting this scene in pure watercolour (on a white background) and now I am already planning this in my mind. Painting it will come later.

More information about this painting (materials used, size, availability, etc) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com