George Baumgardner, St. Louis Nationals (AL), 1912

"George Baumgardner, St. Louis Nationals (AL), 1912"
10" x 8" (25 x 20 cm)
Watercolor and pencil on Arches 300-lb CP paper
© 2009 Steve Penberthy


Another painting based on a photo from the Library of Congress Flickr photostream. I used a different background than what is shown in the photo. In hindsight, I really don't like it--I should have masked out the posts and did a flat wash for the background. Thought I would just tackle it with some brushstrokes; another reason to always have a good plan before you start! :)

Ollie James and T.S. Ray (KY.)

"Ollie James and T.S. Ray (KY.)"
6.75" x 9.5" (17 x 24 cm)
Watercolor on Strathmore Gemini 140-lb CP paper
(sketchbook painting)
© 2009 Steve Penberthy


I found some great 19th-century photos on the Library of Congress Flickr photostream; these old photos have strong contrasts and really distinct values, so I used the photo of Ollie James and T.S. Ray (KY.) as a reference in order to practice getting more value into my paintings. The darks are actually a little bit darker than what shows up in the scan above.

Here's a link to the original photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3238479835/