For both of these, I started by going out and taking lots of photos for reference in terms of colour and light etc. Getting photos of Elibank Castle took around an hour whereas getting photos of Ashiestiel Bridge took around half to three-quarters of an hour.
I then sketched the composition I wanted, added the colour (Inktense pencils), applied the water - making sure that colours which weren't supposed to run/bleed didn't, by allowing plenty of drying time between adjacent sections.
For the Elibank painting, I decided that the castle walls were too pale considering they were mostly in shadow, so I used drawing ink to make some areas darker and to create the shadows seen through the windows and 'door'. When everything was dry, I used fine liner pen to add detail to the bracken, brickwork and fence.
I am really pleased with this painting, particularly the grass detail and the brickwork. I also really like the effect created by using the blue in the background hills because I think it makes them look slightly further away, giving more depth/distance to the painting.
For the Ashiestiel Bridge painting, I chose a view of the bridge that used trees to frame the picture. I think the overhanging branches add detail to the foreground. When I did this painting the leaves were only starting to change colour which is why only the two trees on the left of the bridge are autumn colours. For the river itself, I wanted it to show the ripples etc and the reflective qualities of the water. As I applied the water, some patches of the canvas board resisted the colour/water and I really like the river effect it created as it gives an impression of the moving water. While the base colour for the grass was still damp, I used the inktense pencil to give the grass detail and texture. Once everything was completely dry, I used fineliner pen to give the leaves on the overhanging branches a rough shape.
Overall, I'm pleased with this painting and I think the colour of the heathery hill helps bring out the autumn leaves. I really like the river effect and am pleased with the detail in the grass and the brickwork on the bridge.
