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| "By the Lake" 20x16 Oil - Available |
I enjoy landscape paintings with unusual perspectives. An unexpected viewpoint always gives me a little frisson of pleasure.
Recently, Trina and I took a hike to a favorite overlook. I snapped several photos, hoping to make good on a promise I'd made to myself some time ago that I would paint that particular view. I'd also promised myself—again, some time ago—that someday I would lug my plein air gear up there. This hasn't happened yet. Fortunately, though, I have a number of good color studies of the cliffs done from below, and I knew they would be helpful in getting the color my camera can't see.
With these references, I set up my studio easel and got to work. For me, this became a standard “design it, paint it” piece with no experimentation. I didn't try any exotic colors or mysterious mediums. I just laid out my standard, modified split-primary palette and went at it. Here are some progress photos for you to enjoy.
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| Blocking in general color... |
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| ...figuring out patterns of vegetation... |
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| ...completing shadow areas... |
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| ...adjusting shadowed side of cliff and adding surface treatment to lake. |
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| And again, the finished work. "By the Lake" 20x16 Oil - Available |
