Equise - Vatican Procession

Lately I have become obsessed with a magnificent photograph I have of a procession in the Vatican and I am determined to paint it in oils, but as it is so different from anything I have attempted before, I decided to do a small sketch in gouache. Sketching is all well and good and I learned masses here but for some reason I hadn't worked out that the sketch should be the same size, or as close in size, to the intended final work as possible. Also, I should be painting on much finer paper but I did capture some of the essence of the event and as this is a much more complicated and scenic work than I have tacked for a long time, I think it shows the beginnings of something worthwhile. I have a lot to learn about proportion and process and I knew this even when I had sketched this out in a separate pencil sketch a few weeks ago. What I do know is that this scene can only be painted in oils; incense smoke cannot, I repeat 'cannot', be rendered with gouache!  Please forgive the use of the word "equise" for sketch.  I am going to use this for my work in oils and use 'sketching' for pencil, graphite or charcoal works. Fancy.  Lots and lots to learn. As always.

"Gouache Sketch - Corpus Christi Procession"

Work in Progress - Deconstructed Gift Shop

This is a practice-run for an oil I have on the go for The Virtual Paintout. I am nearly finished this one and truthfully might not even bother to finish it because gouache is just not plastic or powerful enough to do what I want. However, believe it or not, I learned quite a bit from trying this portrait format which I am not in love with at the best of times. I might take this down tomorrow; it just depends on my mood. I do *love* the colours though.

 "Work in Progress"

Gouache on Watercolour Paper

Experimental Gouache

I am in the process of doing a painting for this month's Virtual Paintout and the gouache sketch below is a detail of a glass display box in a novelty shop in Lido di Jesolo, which would have been the subject of one of my paintings had I not de-selected it. I rejected doing it in oils as a final work because I didn't think it strong enough compositionally and I eventually found a better source visual to work from which I am quite excited about. I only did this to have some free-wheeling time this afternoon as I was frustrated at not having done a complete work for a while and I have two on the go (with first coats drying) which I might be able to put up next weekend, time permitting. In a strange way this was quite challenging as I tried to get a luminous and transparent effect and find the exact greens to use. Nearly there, but doing this little sketch blew away some cobwebs and gave me a few ideas for future paintings.

 Experimental Gouache - "Store Display - Lido di Jesolo" 

Gouache on Watercolour Paper - 4.25" x 4.75"