"Mirror Lake" - painted in the studio August 2007
1.) This painting comes from some reference shots I took several years ago while vacationing in Yosemite National Park...it's of Mirror Lake. I start this one like usual, underpainting in burnt-orange and "sketching" in my main objects with a turp soaked brush.
2.) The next day, I lay-in the sky and the clouds, paint the distant rock face and then underpaint the general "dark" tone of the massive granite butte to the left. My time went quickly this morning and there's actually a bit more detail than shows here in the distant mountain...that's my story anyway...
3.) Today I'm able to finish the granite butte (which I believe is called Mt. Watkins) and now I'm ready to start on the middle ground.
4.) Once I get the mid-ground trees blocked-in, I quickly underpaint the nearer trees and roughly lay-in the lighter colors which amounts to a two-value block-in. I find it easier to paint the clouds in the water by turning the canvas upside down. Typically, when you paint reflections, the lights will be darker than the object they are reflecting and the darks will be lighter in value than what they are reflecting. However, there are exceptions and the mountain here is a perfect example. The lights are indeed darker, but the darks are too. The main reason for this is that the bottom of this shallow lake is very dark and it is affecting the surface reflections because in the dark area (which is actually the abscence of reflection since only light truly reflects) you can see the bottom somewhat. Make sense? Read it again, it will...
5.) Today I finish-up for the most part the near mid-ground trees and paint in the trees that frame the picture on the left and right. I am getting prety close now...tomorrow I'll only need to paint the foreground rocks, add a few details and call it done...click here to see the finished painting...
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