Sooner or later I had to try sketching with watercolour without the comforts of a warm, well-lit room with comfortable chairs and a sturdy table. Therefore, I traveled to Rainham and settled myself down beside the Thames on a freezing January afternoon. The sky was grey, the river was grey and lifeless but the place still had atmosphere. Cold grey afternoons in the winter are made for watercolours. The hint of yellow ochre mixed with a hint of ultramarine and a wash of Paynes grey achieved the perfect sky tones. The skyline with its industrial cranes and factories outlines the horizon and a rusty tone for dying reeds or riverside grasses mixed with raw and burnt umber created a slightly colourful contrast albeit a little basic.
My biggest issue was my hands. after 30 minutes, they could barley hold a brush and the slight wind lifting off the Thames caused my sketchbook pages to wave about, throwing well-place paint into unwelcome areas of the sketch. These are things I’m going to have to overcome or live with. But I do think I need to invest in a small fold away stool as opportunities to sit down somewhere dry were rare.
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| The Thames at Rainham, Jan 2013 |
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