Soft Sunset

There's a story with this one. I painted it quite boldly, with lots of really loud, glaring colors. It was just too...something. There's a place for bold, and you know I love bold, bright colors, but sometimes you have another goal in mind and this wasn't it. Here's a small peek at what it looked like before:

So I decided to be brave. I mean, it wasn't bad but it wasn't what I wanted. So, I wet a brush, just damp, not sopping, and lightly drew it across the sky. It transformed it! Gouache always lifts when re-wet, so some of the colors were drawn across with the brush. I didn't make a lot of passes, just a couple, softly and subtly. Suddenly there was this soft haze of atmosphere draped across the evening sky. I added a bit more bright yellow gold where the sun is peeking through, but left the rest alone. I love it's softness and the sense of depth now. Sometimes you try something and it really works!


Painted in gouache on Bristol Vellum, 2.5" x 3.5".

~Deborah