Lab Book#13: Catching Rays

This painting was not originally intended to be a in the Lab Book series, however the entire composition came from the doodles I made on a (long and often dull) science conference I attended in Nagoya Japan, 2006. I felt that it could be included it in the series at number 13, which also avoids the problem of having to paint a #13, which would be terribly unlucky. For those following the series, I will be posting Lab Book#11 The Legendary Isle of Sixe shortly, which was completed last month. I am currently working on Lab Book #12, Archi-doodle City (W/E). which is done on two pieces of paper 15x30inch intended to be displayed beside each other. I used a bit of a different technique on this one, the colourful wash that makes the sunset was applied first, and the doodle details were overlayed after it had dried. The same was done for the ocean. To make the multi-colour sunset wash was a bit tricky. Each colour in the sunset must be of equal value (by value we mean the level of lightness/darkness), and the consistency of the water must be nearly identical or else they wash each other out. Most of all, the timing has so be carefully measured, so that each colour can be just moist enough to blend into the next colour. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the results are very satisfying. 

Lab Book#13: Catching Rays, watercolour 11 x 16 cold press, 2007 (No. 1773)