I'm painting on a 14x18" canvas using a 2" wash brush. I look at my reference photo and then at Monet’s original. The beauty of it astounds me. His colors flow together like poetry. I am working with a limited color palette since acrylics are new to me. I am using Winsor Newton Galeria paint and only have the basic colors, plus an extra blue, green and red.
I study Monet’s painting and notice the dark background, so that is where I start. I dip my palette knife in some burnt umber and crimson red, do a little mixing and then start laying in the background color.
I mix some cerulean blue and white together for a little bit of sky. I am not sure if I want a sky, but if not I can just go over it. I then take some Winsor blue with a little of the cadmium yellow deep hue and mix together for a blue green for the greenery and water.
I also put in something that resembles a bridge, knowing it will be gone over later, in order for me to get the feel I needed of having the bridge in there. It doesn’t look like much right now, but it will come along, I hope.
So far I am pleased with the acrylics, they dry quickly and I am able to layer over other layers without waiting. My paints are staying moist in my 'homemade' palette. (Thanks to Acrylics Michelle for the tip on how to make this from an aluminum pasta pan with a plastic top, layered with wax paper and then two thin wet sponges with another layer of wax paper over those.) When I need a break, I cover the pan with the top and go.
