Back to Work ...

I left this in disgust a few days ago, and worked on portraits instead.

I took it out again this morning after riding. Those are my paddock boot tips in the photo.

I've darkened the mountains , and am carefully darkening the abutment and girders. It doesn't look too bad when I put a mat around it.

Here's the back of my vet's head. It was the best I could do with one hand, as I was assisting.

It's not something I really like to see - a horse drugged to the point of almost falling over, with his head in a sling fastened to the ceiling, but that's dental care in horse land. Most horses get their teeth done every year or two. Bruno needs his done every six months. He has quite a malocclusion, probably as a result of a broken jaw when very young. He might have been stepped on or rolled on by his mom, or kicked when playing with the other young horses - it happens. Because of this, his teeth wear very unevenly, and he gradually get sharp points and edges on them, which can cut the tongue and cheeks. So today was the day.  

He had them done almost an hour ago, so he's probably just coming out of the sedation now. Then he can have his dinner. If they are allowed to eat while sedated, they can choke. There's your bit of horsey education for today.


As always, your comments are most welcome.

FRUSTRATED!

Is the sky too dark? Are the mountains not dark enough? Is the abutment too wishy-washy? I've been pecking away at this off and on all day so far, and I am not impressed. Time to leave it for a while ...

This is it in black/white, to check values.  It all looks like a glop of mid-values to me, but then it is supposed to be a cloudy scene. I don't know.

As always, your comments are most welcome.

The Great Tweak Begins ...

I left it here last night ...

Flash

Outdoor light

I've done two w/w washes on the water, and another on the sky, and so far I like the look of the painting. There is pigment everywhere except a tiny strip on the roof. SO ... now I have to start tweaking and balancing the entire painting, to create something cohesive with a good focal point. Onward!

As always, your comments are most welcome.

As I Soldier on with the Bridge ...

I've put in some of the girders, and the frame-work under the road-way.

Here's a close-up of the road-way, with the mountains and city in the background. I like how the skyline came out. I painted it all, water's edge to mountain top, w/w, and then lifted the buildings.

I've intensified the mountains, and got in most of the reflections. I decided to do the reflections first with lighter washes, instead of incorporating them into the water. Working on both at the same time in such a large format would have been a wet disaster. Next, I will paint the water, and re-assess what needs tweaking. I have a feeling "tweaking" is going to take a long time.


As always, your comments are most welcome. 

Slowly, but Surely ...

I left off here ...

I've done a bit more thin glazing on the abutment and the base of the abutment.

Some more thin glazes have been done, and I have put in the reflections.  I thought it best to put them in lighter than they actually are, then play with them a bit when I paint the water. I have also done a first glaze on the girders.

Same lighting, but you'd never know it. This one shows the reflections better. The above photo better shows the bridge itself.


As ever, your comments are most welcome.

It's Getting the Old Building Look

I did this several years ago, in my first serious painting class. It's of my sister in Venice. We both love the painting, but I have it hanging at my place as she is in a state of perpetual fixing and re-decorating. I don't mind - I love looking at it. :) It was SO much fun painting those old buildings.

This brings me to the dreaded bridge.  I find I like painting it the same way I did those buildings in Venice, taking my time, wet-in-wet, leaving some edges here and there ...  It may not be how the bridge really looks, but I think it gives it much more character.

I'm playing warm and cool against each other, creating more depth.

As always, your comments are most welcome.

No ... I Was Not Abducted by Aliens ...

I couldn't wait to finish this - I was so keen to get onto another painting. The colors are frustratingly off; I think I'll have to break down and buy Photoshop Elements to get the colors right. 

This version was getting too dark in the sky, and the shadow on the abutment  on its left side would not be there under a cloudy sky, so ...

I started again this morning, using cobalt blue, instead of indanthrone for the sky colors. I think, I HOPE, it will turn out better.

No aliens - just a few days of work at the office, catching up with Bruno time, and getting used to the big change in the weather. Summer has finally arrived! :)

YAY ... It's Sunny ... so this may be it for painting today

I've oranged the boulders, to give the painting more color cohesion.

I have done a w/w drop wash, with a green mixture, again to bring it a bit more together.

There is a bit of a shadow [from the way I photographed it] on the sky area, which gives it a darker, broodier look that I like. So I think I will darken the sky in the painting, emphasizing the focal area.

With the bridge, I am glazing here and there to get more depth in the shadows.


This is the morning's work. It is beautifully sunny, and drying out somewhat, so time to get the riding gear on, and play with the lad. :)

As always, your comments are most welcome.

A Morning's Work ...

I'm continuing to add shadows ... almost there. I think I may have to darken the sky again in certain areas to highlight the focal spots, and put in the girders and understructures, to see exactly what I have here.

And I'm still playing with these much smaller ones, while the paint dries on the bridge.

Studio light

Day light.


Well, it's finally stopped bucketing rain outside. Mind you, I'd rather have this than the extreme heat and fires some areas are experiencing. I think it's time for a break outside.

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

Playing Around ...

Just wanted to let some staining colors run amok, to see what would happen. Usually I don't like when they separate out, but here it adds interest. I don't know where I'll go with this yet.  

A friend of mine worked with Tauk tours for a number of years. He took this when in India, and downloaded it for me. It really is a stunning photo, and one I've been thinking of painting for a while.

I've got a decent start on the sky ...

And yes, I did work a bit on the bridge - more shadowing on the right, and in the underpass.

As always, your comments are very welcome.