GoldSeven's watercolour illustrations - updated 25th February

[GoldSeven]

* Update in last post - thanks!* Right now, loads of Tolkien works.





Here is one of my latest paintings. I usually work in watercolours at the moment, and most of what I draw and paint is from a story I'm working on, set in an alternate Wales. This one is called "Ysbrydnos", which means "Spirit Night" in Welsh.


Thanks for the pointers on woman/crow transition! Haven't managed to incorporate them all, but most of them.


Done in Schmincke watercolours on Canson paper, A 3 size.

[Waipunga]

Yeah. This I like! Not sure if I would have such a serene look on my face with a crow sitting on my head but that would not be art anyway! Good work Dude.

[GoldSeven]

Damn. I'd hoped it'd look less like the crow sitting on her head but more like a transformation/magical/dreamy thingie, but... thanks mate. Works fine too. She likes crows.

[Waipunga]

Have just had a long look through your Portfolio. Impressive body of work. "Fields of Gold" and "Atop Twn Aderyn" in particular I really like. You have fine subtle touch and your celtic work is beautifully understated.

[michael92]

Wow i'm speechless, i really love the emotion you manage to captivate on your paintings, Truly an artist!

[pixel cheetah]

Nice piece of work. I went over to your homepage and you have some beautiful illustrations there! I love your style, post more!

[GoldSeven]

Thanks a lot for the kind words, everyone! Waipunga: Subtle and understated - that's good to hear.

[Saramel]

Hey, it came out really nice! It does still look like he's perched on her head, but it's a beautiful illustration nonetheless!

[lyethia]

GORGEOUS work. Beautiful watercolor. Love the composition!

[SageTso]

Great stuff, the colors are awesome!

[GoldSeven]

Hey thanks! So I won't have to drag up this thread from way back

I'm sure some of you followed the progression of this one in the WIP forum. It's finished now - I'm aware of some trouble with lighting; I approached this in a way more realistic way than I usually do, and a reference would have been in order. But in watercolour, I'm rather safe than sorry, especially with things I'm insecure with...

"The Hidden Circle" - Watercolours on A3 Canson paper



I actually like the cropped version, which resembles my first approach to this image. The cropped one works better with web resolution, I think, whereas the original looks better with more around it.

[astillac]

I like them both - I've been a big fan of the wider view since you first drew it, but the closer crop is growing on me.

Lovely watercolors.

[Truepinkas]

I'm really digging the new one. I prefer the wide shot, it establishes the space better and doesn't make the figures feel crowded IMO.

[Sonia Leticia]

Wow you're really rocking those watercolors ! Awesome pieces. I love the soft pinks and expression on the woman at the top. And the form of the figures in the latest post I think you nailed.

[GoldSeven]

Did anyone say pink?



Watercolours on A3 Hahnemühle paper. Finished this one two days ago. I wasn't even going to post this one here initially, but it's growing on me. Despite the pink. I did mix a lot of Indigo and Sepia into the paint there, but this viole(n)t tone I have is extremely persistent if watered down...

And anyway, the world needs more pink!



Thanks a lot for the kind words, guys!

[GoldSeven]

My latest - some of you might have seen this floating around in the wip forum.

"Der Schimmelreiter"



It's for a "local legends" contest in traditional media on deviantArt. And for my dad's seventieth birthday.

[Dahami]

Congratulations on being one of the few people who does watercolors that I really like. Beautiful storybook style. I assume you use a pencil or pen for the line work?

[GoldSeven]

Thanks, Dahami! It's pencil, yes. Scanned and printed on watercolour paper, usually tinted slightly.

An older piece revisited and shaped up. The last version was digital, but after losing the file, I felt doing it again in watercolour would be a way to do it more justice this time.

[GoldSeven]

Haven't got much done over the winter - except marking exams. :| Here's something new, now. Trying around with different watercolour techniques than I usually use. I like the result, though wetter techniques need better paper quality than this.

[GoldSeven]

It's been nearly a year, huh?

I spent most of that year house-hunting - artistically, I spent it mostly in Middle-earth. Some works inspired by Tolkien's Silmarillion:





Both watercolours on cold press paper.

Some experiments in a softer style, in pencil with a watercolour wash as background (the second has some added Photoshop texture).





(Yes, I adore Alan Lee's Tolkien work.)

[erinel]

these most recent ones are great! I'm really loving the man riding the horse, it's nice to see you using a less monochromatic palette, it's really lovely.
I was wondering though, when you print your linework out, do you have any trouble with the printer ink bleeding? I've always assumed that would be a big issue.

[GoldSeven]

Thank you, Erinel!

Printer ink bleeding depends entirely on the brand of the printer. I've been practising this approach with my last three printers; HP worked mostly but left a greenish bleed around the lines; Canon bled all over the place - and Epson is 100% waterproof. I've had an A3 size Epson printer for one and a half years now and it's absolutely great. I even takes paper of 300g and more.

[Ray Dillon]

Love all of these! Great line work. Great colors and style. Particular ones that stood out to me instantly were the mostly red toned one of the guy on the horse. The big armored LOTR guy. I spent a lot of time analyzing how you handled the planes of the face of the guy with the harp, especially around the upper nose area where it kinda swirls under the eye ... does that make sense? HA! Anyway, they all look great! Hope for more soon!

[Stinkfist]

Inspirational.

[mehran]

pretty awesome work man...you need to work a biiiiit more on your anatomy cause at some places the joints are bent slightly wrong or have slightly wrong form..
but these are still rather awesome...
keep rockin

[GoldSeven]

Thanks a lot for the praise and the critique - mehran, you're right, I often get too sloppy on anatomy. In the sketch, I'll tell myself, naaaah, I'll fix that in the lineart... except I don't. That's bad, I know.

Ray, I've actually got some process and close-up shots of the harper picture: http://gold-seven.deviantart.com/art...lour-199541215 There are more walkthroughs on my blog.

[ErinLein]

Wonderful. I watch you on deviantart and it was nice to see your work on here as well.

[D0ming0]

Love these. Thanks for posting.

[GoldSeven]

I'm still very much into Tolkien at the moment - it's extremely relaxing in between marking exam papers. -_-

Some rather serene pieces...



Another one, painted in coffee (I only started experimenting with that this year, it's a blast to work with!)



... And one slightly less serene. Trying to play around with more vibrant colours (in this case, Dr Martin's liquid watercolours).



Thanks for looking!

[krysjez]

Hmm, do the finished paintings smell like coffee then? I'd buy those...
Really beautiful, hair, folds and natural elements especially