Painting on location in Pilar, New Mexico

Painting on location in Pilar, New Mexico

View from above Pilar, New Mexico 11x14 oil plein air

Aspen Trees - final phase

Aspen Trees  24x18  oil

In the final pass over this painting, I toned down the darks, gave the foreground more definition, and gave some detail to the tree trunks.  I also softened the edges of the trees to show more leafy patterns.  I'm pleased with this final result!

Aspen Painting - second Phase

 

Here after the second phase, the second pass over the painting surface, you can see that I filled in the trees, putting in the shadows and giving them shape and color.   During this second pass I also did a bit of over-painting of the background to tone down the mountains and give them depth.   Depth is created when I let some of the first layer of paint and colors show through while placing a slightly different color on top of that layer.

Aspen painting - first phase

 

I've taken photos of my latest painting in progress and would like to share this with you so you can see the methods I use when I paint.  First, I used many reference photos to study aspens and then I drew my invented scene on the canvas using pencil.  Next, above, is the first layer of painting where I put down the big shapes. I painted the background behind the trees first since this will be darker than the trees themselves.  My first layer of paint is the darks of the painting and I will come back later and make some of them lighter.