Watercolor #16 in 33 years: Devil’s Gate Dam West
by Pasadena Adjacent
Original Reference Photo
Watercolor Ap ‘Waterlogue’ [Enlarge to Appreciate]
The Computer Version I Worked From
The End Result — Enlarge to Appreciate
Recap on Watercolor #14 Devils Gate Dam East.
En Plein Aire #14. [SHOP TALK] adding to my misery is the discovery of an iPhone application that replicates watercolors from photo files. It’s amazing and equaling depressing. Makes me feel like an old horse being put out to pasture — and never saw the bullet coming. It’s what I’ve been trying to do, but don’t. Now I’m starting to think my ‘don’t’ is my saving grace. Like the painting above. All those don’ts – mistakes in perspective and placement, can add up to a pleasing composition. Especially when you make stuff up.
I sent the top image to a friend to run through her iPhone/Pad ap ‘Waterlogue.’ The second image shows the results of four different filters she ran the photo through. The upper left photo is the one I used as a guide. Whereas I saw the application as a threat, some of you saw that it could be used as a system to plot and block out shapes and colors. That became the basis of the experiment.
The drawing was done on site from the bench overlooking the dam on the west end. Once home, I was able to tighten up the drawing and start the process of laying down paint. Though I do tend to work from light to dark, creating a high contrast between the two is not something that comes naturally — as my watercolor instructor Mr Borders, pointed out to me 33 years ago. Those deep rich colors can scare the bejesuzs out of me. Aside from squinting when onsite to understand contrasts, the digital image was of great help. So what do you think?
Pasadena Adjacent 
Our Editor Responds: if you do
I also may go back in with pencil and put in the Mount Wilson Radio Towers.
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I prefer your paintings to those run through an app, any day, because I like to feel the blood, sweat and tears that went into creating the picture. Though for me, trying to download apps and getting them to work can also produce tears. It’s a very attractive digital watercolor, but I like your splash of orange from those log and trash catchers, and the way you turned all the lamps on the dam on. Have you hidden a coyote or bobcat somewhere?
Our Editor responds: So you noticed my little lights? lol. Thats one aspect I found so depressing – the absence of blood sweat and tears. I recently sent my sister an experimental ap that had to do with oil painting. Similar. She started running all her photos through it. Her reply “why would anybody bother to paint”
I saw that happen when billboards went digital. Something is always lost. Except for the observant coyote (wink). Who was actually down below me here on the west end — and not at the zoo
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I like how the earth, water and dam blend together–also the obelisks, and I think that’s amaru running through there:)
Our Editor Responds: I have seen amaru here. And puma too (which is a quechua word)
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Yours is the best. by far! You always add such eye-catching colors.
Our Editor Responds: Thanks Carol. “by far” is what I like hearing.
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Liz, your piece wins by miles! Wonderful take as always. It’s oozing color and charm that the digital version lacks.
Our Editor Responds: Thanks! I like winning by miles. When I do win, it’s usually by a nose. Maybe I should enter it in the Autry Western Painters contest.
http://theautry.org/masters-of-the-american-west/artists-application
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That bench is such a wonderful place to sit. I like yours best, too, although I’m surprised at how good the digital ones look. I think you chose the right one to work from.
Our Editor Responds: Aren’t they? so you can see where I might get kind of bummed. That particular image was the closest to the kind of watercolor ‘look’ I’ve wanted to achieve on my own — but now that this ap is out, I’m rethinking that goal
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Very interesting exercise. I think you do an excellent job of not copying pictures or nature. You paint the way our minds see: zooming in on what interests you.
I like looking at the app-generated paintings, and trying to figure how it works. For instance, the app has virtually eliminated the stairs in the foreground, although they are very visible. I thought at first it was because they were nowhere near where you would expect a focal point to be. But then I noticed the wall and shadow on the other side of the foreground that is “painted” to be much more distinct than in the untouched photo. It may be because the dark shadow shape links up nicely with the other dark shapes, whereas the light colored stairs would interrupt the nice neutral lower left corner. Anyway, sorry for thinking out loud here.
Our Editor Responds: think aloud all you want – your feedback is of value to me. What is worth considering is the fact that you can’t remove things from the original source photo. In this case the overhead branches in the foreground. Because the ap chose to make them blue, you can’t really identify what they are. And it practically eliminated the red snake. What it did help me with is the water.
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I actually don’t care for the computer generated ones at all. I sure like yours though – much more interesting to look at.
Our Editor Responds: Really? for the most part, I like the first one a lot. It has a nice reductive quality to it… but I’m always happy when someone likes mine best ; )
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Wow wow x2 for the app but your painting is gorgeous. There is no app that can make that. A painting will always be the organic mojo direct from the soul. Love.
Our Editor Responds: Thank you. Mine is blood sweat tears and YEARS! But here’s some serendipity. Has to do with a return to what I know; my familia. About a year ago, an encouraging prompt came from Pat. The woman who would end up being our project lead. She FBed an image of her cats, and I was so wowed by them that I slathered praise on her publicly. You could say I cornered her in a sense. She said nothing. Only recently did I start to think about that world class painting. Waterlogue? she didn’t cop to it. Yup, I was completely taken by what I assumed was mastery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/15027411@N03/14295790698
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Yr watercolor is so much more interesting than the one on the app!!! So much more detail and invention.
Our Editor Responds: In this case yes… but when you ran the stone building through the ap I discovered its strength AND weakness…lawns (and some trees) The digital intervention is very obvious
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LOVE your watercolor!
Our Editor Responds: Thanks Sonia
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You captured so much detail in your painting while also capturing the beauty of that little corner of the world. My eye followed the precision of that red hose from top to bottom (or cable or whatever it is).
Our Editor Responds: Thanks Ann. That hose is some kind of float that traps all the crap coming down during storms.
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I agree with everyone else here: your painting is much better than the app-generated ones. It’s more vibrant. It has more depth and color. As always, I’m impressed.
I love going on these journeys with you, getting insight into your process and inner workings.
Our Editor Responds: It has been a journey. I’ve missed the last two Saturdays and feel scattered artistically. I need to get back on the horse before I loose my momentum.
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After looking at all your great watercolors last night I had this in my email box and thought you might enjoy it as it covers two of your loves, cats and water color.
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/02/watercolor-and-ink-cats-bleeding-into-the-canvas/
Our Editor Responds: you have me pegged. Those are some fine feline paintings
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I have been loving your watercolors. Not loving that there’s now an app to paint for anyone. Oh well. Your solution–using it as a starting reference–is good.
Our Editor Responds: Thanks Gene. Means a lot from a fellow mud pusher. I actually called someone out last Friday on Face Book for using that ap. She’s the local arts funding heirsess — so I’ll probably never work in this town again. But damn it, why should people be posting transformed photos and then collecting the compliments on a lie?
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Very beautiful watercolor of Devils Gate Dam, Liz!
Have a happy Sunday.
Our Editor Responds: Thanks Sonia. I have another painting in the works. I had to miss two Saturdays in a row so I’ve been slow to post.
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