Fog Comes On Little Cat Feet

Fog Comes On Little Cat Feet
Watercolor 9" x 12" Mats to 14" x 16"

Fog

by Carl Sandburg

THE FOG

comes on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

My watercolor above, Fog Comes On Little Cat Feet, received its title thanks to Carl Sandburg.  I remember memorizing this poem in elementary school and this painting brought that poem to mind.

Watercolor Tip:

How to paint fog:

I completed the entire painting using very vivid colors - much brighter than I would have ordinarily used so that when the fog was added the color would show through.    After the  painting was completely dry.  I applied several washes of white paint using a dry brush.  The first application lightly covered the entire painting.  The second application covered from the top down to the a spot half way between the yellow and the red boat.  The third application covered the sky and mountain area.  This allowed the fog to be more concentrated in the distance and lighter in the foreground. 

Caution:  Work quickly and DO NOT have the paint too wet or you run the risk of completely hiding the painting.  Also, do not overwork the area.  Work from top to bottom with single strokes across and move on. 

Happy Painting!

Karen