Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Seeing Red

As I was eyeing painting the foreground, it looked too white to me. Yes, it had a burnt sienna - raw sienna wash, but it was too light.

So, last Thursday evening I grabbed cadmium orange and alizarin crimson and did a turpentine wash over the entire foreground area. My thought was this bright color would show through and create pockets of the brilliant reds of the autumn tundra. The next morning I did question my choice but after putting in the detail now know I made the right decision. There are pops of color throughout the foreground and texture-y elements which create the effect I want.

Saturday I continued working on the foreground and on Sunday worked on my list of other areas throughout the painting. There is still some work to do, especially on the big bull, but I want to call in a couple pairs of eyes from my artist friends. After working on a painting so long, enlisting a fresh perspective, objectively looking at the piece, and discussing the details, helps in adding the finishing touches.



Once the painting is finished, I will have it scanned and then post it. Much of the detail is lost in taking these quick photos with my handheld camera.

3 comments:

sschopfer said...

Magnificent! A dramatic confrontation in a dramatic landscape.

Marc Calvo said...

This picture express the vivid esence of the boreal wildlife.

Linda Besse said...

Thank you both. There is still some work to do, touches here and there to complete the painting.