Ice

 

Now that the ice is generally finished (I always revisit areas as I work on the painting), I can move to the water.

I love painting water. There are so many moods to it that I never tire capturing its nuances.

This water is cold, obviously.  It will have reflected color from the ice but also needs to reveal part of the ice shelf below the water level. Within the protected area (the part currently painted) it will be calm with few ripples. Once outside this area the water will have more movement. 

 

There are several mixes of blues on my palette and I'll add more as I work my way to the bottom of the painting.

 

 

 

Ice Shadows

 

It's easy to get lost in the ice shadows if you are shackled to your reference photos. 

When I was there taking my reference photos I noticed that although it is chunks of ice, there is a softness to it. Since this part is in the background I want to avoid unnecessary hard edges.

 

At this stage I step back to see if I'm getting the feeling of ice even though the highlights are not painted. I also find that taking photos with my phone and looking at the painting on a very small scale can help me see what places need adjustment.

 

 

 

Brrrrr!

 After finishing the large elk painting I wanted another large painting with a North American subject for my upcoming show in Nashville, Tennessee, the Safari Club International Convention in January.

 

I've spent quite a bit of time on the ground with polar bears in the wild so that was a logical choice.

For this piece I wanted a more intimate setting for the bear, less of an expansive landscape like some of my other polar bear paintings.

 

Here's the start. Grab your coat. It's going to get cold.

 

 Like usual I am starting with the background. 

First I painted the ocean "peep holes" at the very top. 

As you can see my next step are the ice shadows. I like to work on the shadows first. If the shadows read well, then I add the "white" highlights. 

 

 

 

Finished

 

Majesty

32" X 24"

Original oil by Linda Besse 

 

   Thanks for following along on this painting. It certainly was a challenge for me and something I probably wouldn't have tackled 2 years ago. While it is much easier to paint simple compositions, working on a piece likes this really pushes me as I figure out how to approach and then execute a complicated painting.

October 3 was the first in progress post on this painting. 

Note: The painting is too wet for scanning so the above image is a phone photo. The details and subtlety of the brush strokes are not as visible in a phone photo. 

 

After "being" in a dark forest, it's time for some light.

My next painting includes a polar bear. 

Stay tuned. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ground Cover and Elk

   The ground cover was another complicated section of this painting. Rather than be bound by my reference photos, I let them act as guides, suggestions, for the approach. The ground should be detailed enough that your eyes will see vegetation yet not pull your focus with tight plant renderings. It's a delicate balance.

 

You can see I have started on the elk.

 

 

 

 

More Trees

 Below you can see the steps I took in finishing the redwoods.

 

 

And the trees

 

 

Now it's time to work on the close-up trees. The background should complement the these trees and not pull focus from them.

 

One of the adjustments I made from the previous post is to lighten the blue sky to the right of the right most tree.