Gold Lake - painted in the studio March and April 2004 (pg. 2)
(click here to go back to page 1)
Once my underpainting is dry, I start in with this part which really freaks people out when they are watching me do this in the studio. I merely start brushing on a thin layer of color. This is a little thicker than a wash so I can get some color and texture down, but thin enough to see what I have underneath.
I continue this all the way across and in this case I'm stopping my brush strokes at about where the reflection will stop in the lake.
Next, I break out my "expensive" brushes (the Q-Tips®) and with a little of my thinner I clean up the edges and "lift out" my tints helping to further define a "map" for myself. I'm basically establishing my light, dark and mid-tone areas which will make painting the details much easier.
I work mostly from top left to bottom right...
I lift my tints all the way across and am now beginning to get the "feel" I'm after in the piece.
I'll end my session here and come back later to begin with the details in the mountain before I start the reflection. I once heard some good advice, "paint the thing reflected prior to painting its reflection. Click here for more.
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