Cliffs - a watercolour study

I wanted to work outside the confines of my own home for this exercise so headed to a local coffee shop that has some beautiful Art Deco elements. Unfortunately when I visited on Sunday, it seemed that everybody had the same idea to visit at the same time. I was offered only one choice of table tucked away beside the staircase I wanted to draw. I decided to sit it out and see what I could do with this perspective.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to complete this exercise here so sketched madly and took some reference images. This would be a composition compiled from what I had sketched and what I had for reference images.

So this exercise is about still life or an interior. So therefore should I steer clear of adding in people. Without them though, does the interior look lifeless? I like how the large plant in the foreground adds a still life element. Could / should I add in a waiters tray on the opposite side?

I have drawn some sketches of the staircase coming down and the ceiling area and they are also both included in the reference photos above. I like the geometric lines they give but how will they translate on the page?

I am also faced with the decision again to go portrait or landscape? Logically landscape allows me to get much more in but portrait remains my preference for its poster vibe.

Working on A2 cartridge paper, I spent the evening sketching out compositions and looking at alterations that need making to get it to work. As you can see, I have included people in this sketch but still undecided as to whether I leave them out. My concern is that by omitting them, the whole piece becomes unbalanced and lacks any kind of life or narrative.

Coming back fresh to it, I added in some paper to cover the people at the table to see if I could balance the composition without them. Adding two tables didn't seem to work, the second table seemed to be floating in space.

Whilst I was busy with the people / no people conundrum, I totally missed that I had the proportions totally wrong. The stair newel post was way to small in the initial drawing and having taken all other measurements from that, the whole drawing was skewed. Time to start again. Started with rule of thirds grid and lined up the newel and got the proportions more accurate. I also realised the bottom most stair needed to come into the composition much further. Now I had these two pieces in, I had the basis to restart the sketching phase.

Making good progress but now the chair and table with the coffee and coat look out of place. I would prefer them on the edge of the frame.

Masking off the area with a piece of scrap paper helped me make the decision that it had to be on the edge. I must admit for one minute I did consider simply cutting the edge off but it would have been a very skinny odd composition.

Doubting my ability to get that right again, I used a piece of copy paper and traced it out and erased the original and redrew again in a preferable position.

Moving it was the right decision and placed an empty table in the vacant space between.

Now time for paint.

Despite how hard I find it, I have plumped for watercolour again. I have also decided to be brave and not rely on fineliner outlines. Think there is enough contrast in the subjects to be able to define without. Let's see, I am happy to go back over it afterwards and add where needed if necessary.

I am so pleasantly surprised by how well the jacket over the chair came out really quickly.

Now it's as much a matter of learning how to mix colours as it is painting. To get round some of the struggles I have had previously, I have used more water direct on the paper in certain areas to allow the paint to move easier.

Finished scrap paper with my colour mixing tests.

I never expected this piece to turn out anywhere near as well as it has. Yes I know there are areas I would like to improve such as the definition of the bottom two steps and the perspective of the floor boards but these are simple enough technical issues to figure out. What I am pleased with is how well I have mixed colours from a very limited palette. I also feel that the empty table with a coffee cup left abandoned and the coat left over the chair adds a narrative to the piece. Who sat there? Where are they now? Why did they leave? Are they coming back? Were they alone?

I also believe that watercolour was the right choice. Getting to know how to warm or cool colour down has helped balance this piece really nicely I feel and I think the composition works. There is enough there to keep your eyes busy and coming back around to make sure you didn't miss anything.