For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Wednesday 18 January 2017

Sir Hugh RA ?


Previous posts describe my walking the Cumbria Coastal Path in sections. The next stretch is probably the most scenic and I want to have decent weather - I am not inclined to compromise with the current sombre, grey, overcast, drizzly, depressing stuff,  so I have turned my energies to activity more creative and domiciliary.

"Painting" using Photoshop has been an intermittent pastime (well, Hockney does something similar with his iPad - he was a contemporary, albeit a year ahead of me at Bradford Grammar School).

This photo under a canal bridge was taken on a Thursday walk with Pete because the rich and varied colours and texture took my fancy.

I open the photo in Photoshop, then put a blank white layer on top. I reduce the opacity until the photo is just visible below so I can sketch in the main outlines. I then bring back the full white background and continue to paint without further use of the photo, except for looking at a copy for reference.

Here I show two stages of work-in-progress. I am not striving for an exact reproduction of the photo, or the exact colours. I would like to achieve something more loose, free, and artistic, but I don't seem to have that talent, so this will be a sort of halfway-house. The second WIP is nowhere near finished so please don't judge on it - I have just shown it to demonstrate how these creations are tackled.

Hopefully I will in due course up-date with progress or the finished item, unless my temporary wild Gulley Jimson temperament departs me. 



The lines on the outer left-hand side of the bridge and the straight water's edge lines remain (at the moment) from the sketch lines from the partly visible photo before bringing back the white background



11 comments:

  1. Let's hope the good weather is not too far away. Sorry couldn't help myself.

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  2. Alan R - That gave me a laugh - presumably a subtle crit of my artistic shortcomings.

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  3. I couldn't do any better Conrad. It's just my warped sense of humour. I am certainly no critic.

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  4. I recall you doing a fair bit of this art early in your blogging career Conrad. I on the other hand wouldn't attempt it - though it would give Alan and others a good laugh.

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  5. The only thing I ever remember the art teacher saying to me was "What's it meant to be?".

    To be fair, he had a point.

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  6. I'm glad I'm not the only one waiting for better weather. Dying to get back to Cumbria and the coast again - but hoping for some sunshine, or at least less mist!
    Art is a wonderful and relaxing thing to do. Good luck with your endeavours.

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  7. Alan R - All is forgiven.
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    afoot - another ambiguous comment? Are you implying my efforts, or yours, would provide the laughs? Anyway, if it's mine I am gratified that my efforts have not been in vain if having failed on the esoteric level they have managed to brighten somebody's day with humour.
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    Dave - Yet another ambiguity - Are you ascribing your art master's query to your erstwhile efforts or mine?
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    coastal walker -Hi Ruth, from the above comments I think luck is my only hope. I'm looking forward to your "onward journey" as they say in the air. You will soon be out of Cumbria.

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  8. Sir Hugh - I am definitely referring to my efforts providing the laughs.

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  9. well, it's a bright day today so we expect stirring tales of the industrial archeology and past/present might of Barrow !

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  10. Gimmer - it was done. Post may have to wait until Monday. Took so many photos it might be a slideshow in Dropbox.

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