LOOSE, ROUGH EDGES

A loose, rough edge can be made with the side of a bristle brush worked over the paper. These edges are useful for foliage, or where a contrast to hard or soft edges is needed. The process of making and adjusting edges is carried out right throughout the course of a painting. It becomes a subconscious act after a while—as soon as a mark is made it is immediately adjusted—almost without thinking about it. If it is not adjusted straight away and is manipulated once it starts to dry all sorts of blooms and cauliflowers can be the result. Edges are important elements in any painting. It is well worth considering the techniques involved in creating them and manipulating them so it becomes second nature and a part of your painting process.

I decided to break up the upper part of the buildings in this painting to reduce detail and keep the eye down in the focal area. I used various mixtures of tinted white gouache and applied them roughly with a ½-inch bristle brush. Small patches of detail were left in, then parts of the rough edged marks were softened with a damp brush.