Lunchtime watercolour

This is one of my lunchtime watercolours from during the week. Last year I visited Brittany, France. I took a blurred photo from the speeding train outside Paris on my way to the west. The wheat fields with their islands of trees reminded me of the Stockholm archipelago.

Wheat fields outside Paris 30 x 24

Lunchtime watercolour

Waiting for Västan. 31 x23 cm Arches rough 300g

It took me two lunch breaks to paint this. I've been studying Chien Chung Wei, I feel very inspired learning from him, I bought his book and DVD. The problem now is that the hill just got much higher as I regard his work so highly. I of course want to be as good as Chein Chung Wei and Joseph Zbukvic, I put a lot of pressure on myself to improve. I need goals, trying to be as good as the masters is one and enjoying myself is the other.

Two quickies

Here are two quick watercolours I did during the last month.

Seascape 20150813, 11,5 x 7,8 cm, Fabriano fne grain 300g

Trawler 20150912 11,5 x 7,8 cm, Fabriano fne grain 300g

Lunchtime watercolour

This was lunchtime watercolour was initially a failure. I made a mistake and I thought the painting was ruined. So I relaxed and played around with it, did things that I wouldn't normally do like scratch the surface. In the end I was quite happy wit the result. "One should never give up on a painting!", is the the moral of the story I guess.

Arches rough, 300g, 31 x 23 cm

More James Dean on my lunch break

I painted the same picture again. It's fun to play around with a simple motif and a small format, the watercolours are 8 x 11.5 cm on Arches rough, 300g.

Lunch break with James Dean

I wanted to practice my watercolour figures so I chose that rather famous picture of James Dean walking in the rain in New York. I completed these two paintings in half an hour. Speed helps me, I don't have time to think, when I think everything goes wrong. Each watercolour is 8 x 11,5 cm in size on Arches rough, 300g.

James Dean on a lunch break. 

Lunchtime watercolour

It's amazing how hard it is to get back into a routine. Today, I finally started painting again during my lunch break. I mean, it's been at least two weeks since the last one! I'm such a slacker.

Lunchtime archipelago. Paper: Arches rough 17 x 12 cm, 20150707.

Rather extreme lunchtime painting

Not happy with one watercolour during my lunch break I attempted three. Each was painted on different paper. I wanted to see how the pigment reacted on each. Arches rough, Fabriano fine grain and Fabriano satin. I enjoy working at speed but this was pushing it a bit! ;)

Lunchtime watercolour

I am enjoying playing around with skies at the moment.

Double lunchtime watercolour

Yes, this one took me two lunchtimes to complete. I'm just happy to start painting again. I got into a bit of a rut during the last few weeks. Too much going on, I'm looking forward to the summer months.

Seagull 16,5 x 23cm Arches 300g papper.

Tuesday's lunchtime watercolour.

Sailing away. Arches rough 300g, 11,5 x 7,8 cm

Lunchtime watercolour

I'm trying to get back into a rhythm with my painting. I have been a bit lost lately, mainly because I have so much going on in my life besides art. This watercolour sketch took two lunchtimes to complete. It's a portrait of a Swedish artist that I admire. It's not a perfect likeness, I wasn't concerned with that, I just wanted to paint a picture. Tomorrow I will paint another lunchtime watercolour and it might even be an improvement on today's effort. Who knows.

Watercolour Artist, Fabrinao GF 300g, 23 x 16,5 cm

Imperfect portrait

I look at my portrait of Anders Zorn and wish I spent more time trying to capture his likeness. At the same time I am happy with the painting. I completed it during two of my lunch breaks. The clock was against me, it wasn't perfect from the start but I pushed on regardless, my goal was to paint and learn, which I did.

Life drawing has thought me not to get hung up on details, just draw and never pause for thought until the bell goes pling! Some day I will have time to paint and I hope by then I'll have mastered watercolouring enough to excel at it. Until then, I practice. Time permitting.

Anders Zorn

Little lunchtime watercolour

This was my first lunchtime watercolour for a few weeks, feels good to be back doing it.

Stockholm ferry. Arches rough 300g, 11,5 x 7,8 cm

Watercolour practice.

Monday, 30th of March, 2015
I didn't know what to paint during my lunch hour, I only had a half an hour. I decided to do a bit of cloud practice.

Clouds. Fabriani HP, 24 x 18cm 20150330

Wednesday's lunchtime painting

I could have been more subtle with the highlights but it was in my lunchtime rush. 45 minutes and done. :)

Lighthouse 17 x 12 cm, Fabriano HP 300g 20150325

Lunchtime watercolour

A little seascape completed during my lunch break.

Size: 14 x 9 cm på Fabriano HP 300g papper.

20150323

Seascape

A lunchtime watercolour

I was quite happy with this watercolour. I finished it within half an hour during my lunch break. I used two photographs as reference, one for subject and the other for lighting. It is very small at 7,8 x 11,5 cm. I used masking fluid for the lighthouse and reflection. I painted 3 layers and used my mini-hair dryer each time. Wish I could be this productive every lunchtime.

30 minute watercolour. 7,8 x 11,5 cm.

Horses are tricky

I've been painting horses recently, they are difficult to paint and draw but I like the challenge. This small painting used to be much larger but I chopped off the legs due to my inability to capture their movement. Meanwhile I'm working on two other horse paintings and as usual, the more one practices, the easier it gets.

Galloping horse. 11.5 x 7.8 cm Arches rough 300g

Lunchtime watercolour

White horse. 11.5 x 7.8 cm Fabriano GF 300g

I must admit, I need a break from sailing boats, I love sailing and the Stockholm archipelago but I have to resist it for a while. I decided to paint a horse yesterday instead, I build horse-sport websites during the day so it feels kinda natural to paint them too. It is a small painting, 11.5 x 7.8 cm. Keeping it little means less surface to paint and so practical for lunch break watercolour painting. I see improvement in my technique, painting and drawing as much as I can really pays, which feel really nice.
This week I have painted every morning for an hour before going to work, I paint at lunchtime, I have Life Drawing twice and figure painting once during the seven days.