Sleeping Beauties
5.75" x 22"
gyotaku/watercolour
While looking for something else, I rediscovered this long gyotaku print of some small perch that I had completed last year I believe.
I had done several gyotaku pieces directly on heavy watercolour paper as I wanted to add a lot of washes of pigment to the paper without it being at risk of buckling. The process of taking the fish to the paper instead of the paper to the fish makes it a slightly less reliable technique as you have less control with a heavy paper that you can't manipulate, unlike thin Japanese papers.
The prints didn't turn out exactly as I wanted and I see why I put it to one side, perfectionist that I can be at times. But as I'm doing my best to finish off abandoned pieces I thought I'd add some more pigment to it and see if it could be salvaged.
I stayed with the fairly sombre colouring of these fish then gave them some shots of bright turquoise as highlights. Sleeping Beauty turquoise from the Daniel Smith range of watercolours is one of my favourites. Its semi transparent and a beautiful shade that's perfect for my aquatic pictures. The link image really doesn't do justice to it.
5 comments:
I like this and am glad you did not just stop working on it. I have many watercolors that are not finished and know that i need to go back and work on them. Thanks for the hint that I should finish things that I start.
Sometimes things that we thought weren working are revitalized with fresh eyes.
I really like this...and the hint of turquoise is the perfect highlight!
It's like a rainbow of colors, like a lot. You did well to finish it.
Christiane, thank you! I love this particular turquoise used undiluted in accents.
Lydie, I'm trying to finish up old pieces that have sat around too long. I create colours in fish that are definitely not there in nature. :)
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