Painting Enniskillen Castle
How about a wee story behind the painting of Enniskillen Castle.
I have always loved a dander around the Castle. Certain places have stayed in my head in a way that I know some day, I am going to paint them when I get the chance and the Castle was definitely one of them.
There are some amazing paintings of the Castle overlooking the Lough that bring me there when I look at them, but I wanted to add in my own creativity and bring in the whole town. I decided to go up into the sky a bit in my head and try to see more. Once I did this in a sketch I got excited and it was time to trace and retrace until it all looked believable.
I have always loved a dander around the Castle. Certain places have stayed in my head in a way that I know some day, I am going to paint them when I get the chance and the Castle was definitely one of them.
There are some amazing paintings of the Castle overlooking the Lough that bring me there when I look at them, but I wanted to add in my own creativity and bring in the whole town. I decided to go up into the sky a bit in my head and try to see more. Once I did this in a sketch I got excited and it was time to trace and retrace until it all looked believable.
After this it was time to hit the piece with the watercolours. They are quite simple really, once you realise that the secret is lots of water. The more water the happier the colour.
From this it was time to decide where to start. I normally go for the sky, as there were too many times it got the better of me. If you look at a sky most times of the day it just won’t look right, try it, or maybe that’s just me.
However, I decided the Castle is the main feature so it has to be right and started first. The stonework in the castle is beautiful. The next time you are there walk up and touch it, look closely at the colours. There is lovely smooth blueish stonework and crunchy gravely plasterwork with lichen in it that has a sumptuous ochre, green feel. Shadows play beautifully with light higher up in the turrets. I had to somehow capture these.
I start and things are looking a bit ghoulish, but hey it’s a journey not a sprint.
However, I decided the Castle is the main feature so it has to be right and started first. The stonework in the castle is beautiful. The next time you are there walk up and touch it, look closely at the colours. There is lovely smooth blueish stonework and crunchy gravely plasterwork with lichen in it that has a sumptuous ochre, green feel. Shadows play beautifully with light higher up in the turrets. I had to somehow capture these.
I start and things are looking a bit ghoulish, but hey it’s a journey not a sprint.
A bit more work on light shade, and hue and the stonework was coming to life. It was time now to put other elements in so that the piece overall made sense. I was getting excited now as the hoped for balance was appearing. The greens were drawing out the browns and knocking back the blues. It went from feeling like a group of buildings to an island ready for sky and water.
The sky was next. I painted in too much blue and the whole thing got muddier by the second. The jar of water was now spilling over the table, brushes everywhere and kitchen roll was being frantically dobbed everywhere. I mixed up a purplish blue. Possibly a change in hue could save things.
The little hint of darker blue over the Methodist Church was the beginning of the redemption. I’m beginning to remember a Wesleyan quote I heard many years ago “All can be saved”. Thankfully that was the case and the sky started to have manners and also stay airy and fresh against the stonework.
The little hint of darker blue over the Methodist Church was the beginning of the redemption. I’m beginning to remember a Wesleyan quote I heard many years ago “All can be saved”. Thankfully that was the case and the sky started to have manners and also stay airy and fresh against the stonework.
The water was painted in next, the masking fluid peeled off and hooray! It had worked.
Some nice wrapping and a gift message and the signed print was ready to send...
