In the Black Forest - second version

After having painted this little tree in the 'real' colours, I wanted to try to make a second version using my set of Twilight Colours. I decided to do a small painting this time and I chose to use paper that is very white.
While I was taping my sheet of paper down I decided to make a mixed-media using the paint for the background and some of my Graphitint (watersoluble) pencils for the tree and some details in the bushes and on the path.
I did not paint the trees on the left now so I could concentrate on the little tree in the curve of the path.

For the bushes in the background I used the granulating colours in my set of Twilight Colours: they fade away nicely, even where I applied a thicker layer of colour.
The sky, the path and the foreground are painted with the colours that do not granulate so much and I really am happy with the results.
For the path and the shadows I used the grain of my paper, lightly going over it with my pencil gives the same effect my granulating colours do. But this gives just a bit more control. The trees and bushes were drawn in the usual way and I made some accents with little strokes of a small brush with clear water.

This was a 'quick one' as it did not take much time to make, but this is one of the experiments I promised myself to do over the year: getting to know all the possibilities my paints and pencils have to offer. I will have to extend that to next year and maybe even further and that does not bother me at all!

More information about this painting can be found at my website  www.jannekesatelier.web.com 

In the Black Forest

On our vacation trip in the Black Forest (Germany) the weather was most of the time something between a light fog and a drizzle. 

Nevertheless we went hiking a few times and our first walk was directed towards the Sankenbach Waterfall. We could walk there from our vacation home so on a nice dry (not rainy) afternoon we went there. There still was a light fog between the trees that gave our afternoon something special.

The waterfall is very steep and maybe very spectacular when more rain has fallen, now it was really nice to visit but we could not really make pictures showing that there was much water falling.

Located at the top of the pathway down the falls is a hut meant to be a resting place. 

We ate our sandwiches there and made some pictures of the surrounding area.

In a curve in the path stands a small tree, partly hidden in the fog. 

I made several reference pictures with the idea to paint that scene.

I wanted to paint the special feeling of that autumn day in the forest.

The curve in the path that is fading in the mist, the little tree (on the lookout for hikers?) also not clearly visible and of course the foreground that can be seen much better - but not too well. And of course on the path the traces of the last rain, not so very long ago.

This was not really easy to paint, but I am happy with the result.

Maybe I will paint this scene again, using a different set of colours, sometimes a scene invites me to do that and this is one of those.

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