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| Makeover: "Sunrise in the Canyon" 9x12 oil / sold Read about my process below |
Who hasn't been awed by the sunrise at Grand Canyon? Many times, I've walked along the rim with a to-go cup of fresh coffee from the Bright Angel snack bar to witness it. I usually find a little nook away from the other tourists, where I can watch in peace the sun's first warm rays as they paint the canyon walls in golds and reds.
It's a great moment for photographers. They line up jauntily at the rim with their tripods, making small talk, waiting for the right second to trip the shutter. But for painters, it's another matter entirely. When I try this, I find I have about 20 frantic, intense minutes of trying to block in the general idea before the glow weakens and gives way to a harsh, glaring light. That's not much time to mix paint, apply it, consider it, and make corrections. You'd be surprised at how big a 9x12 canvas can seem in those few minutes.
And that was my situation when I painted the original piece. I was reasonably content with it, but it always had a half-finished feeling, like something I might use in the studio as a color reference. But after looking at it again, I decided the "bones" of a decent painting were there, and it wouldn't take long to take it to the next level.
The sketch was hung up in the mid-values, so I pushed the contrast by adding darker notes around the formation (the "Steamboat") in the foreground and darkened its cast shadow. I also darkened the shadowed area of the distant canyon and simplified the pattern of cliffs receiving the first bits of sunlight. I worked in richer color in the Steamboat to pull the eye. Finally, I sharpened the outline of the cliff on the left to give it more presence and to bring it into the middle ground, making more sense of the depth of the canyon. Finally, I added touches of purer color here and there throughout the painting to give it more "punch"overall.
Again, my apologies for the lack of step-by-step photos.
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| Original |
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| Makeover: "Sunrise in the Canyon" 9x12 oil / Available |
