Yesterday I talked
about the canvas for the next painting, and I showed you the source photo so you’d understand the
size issue. Did it surprise you that
I’ve chosen another lake scene? I didn’t
think so! Today I’ll talk a bit about
this choice so I’ll show the photo in a more enhanced version.
If you compare this
photo with the one in yesterday’s blog, you may see the difference between the
two. The first is what the camera really
saw the evening I took the picture. In
today’s version, the light and contrast have been boosted in editing making
some of the details clearer. For
example, you can now very clearly see the colors in the reflection of the
mountain in the pond in the foreground.
Amazing, isn’t it? Can you also
see the farm house and the silo?
I chose another lake
picture for three reasons. One, we have
an emotional connection with this lake that makes it both easy and compelling
for me to paint that subject. I don’t mean the
actual painting is easy, but when I have that connection it’s easier to struggle both with getting the
painting the way I want it and with the time it takes to do so. Two, it’s a fascinating
photo because of the reflection of the rock face of the distant mountain. Three, it’s a lovely view of a lovely place.
This view has been
in my mind as a subject for a painting for quite a while. That means that I’ve also begun thinking
about possible problems. First, I have
to sketch a version of the photo that will fit the canvas size I’ve
chosen. Remember, I have a photo printed
on a 9”X12” paper, and it doesn’t quite fill that sheet of paper. Now think about the canvas size
(24”X48”). You see the issue? I’ll need to stretch the view.
There’s also the
problem of clarity. It was close to
twilight when I took the picture so darkness was beginning to make itself
felt. My tendency is to brighten things
up in my paintings, anyway, but I’ll have to be careful here not to
overdo. Plus, it’s hard to see details
even in a “boosted” version of the photo so I’ll have to call on memory (a
suspect mental capacity at best!) and knowledge of trees, mountains, water
surfaces, light, etc.
Just look at that
diagonal cloud! In a painting that won’t
read as very believable especially with the underlying ones looking quite
definitely horizontal. And do you see
the tiny pink puff of cloud almost in the middle of the sky? If you peer really hard, you may also see
barely evident bluish-white even smaller cloud streaks coming in from the
left. In order to make that tiny pink
cloud believable, I’ll have to make more of the almost invisible ones.
Anyway, it’s all
very interesting, don’t you think?
When you first indicated that you wanted to do this image on a large canvas, I could really see why you chose it. The great expanse of sky almost dwarfs your mountain-lake scene. I like that it takes more than half the canvas just to show the sky above the clouds. I couldn't see the little pink cloud until I blew up the picture. I almost think that the cloud will draw the viewer away from the scene below. It will be tricky, and maybe not workable. I'm not sure you will need it. However, your sky will have to glow from top to bottom. A true challenge. I agree that' it's important to paint what you love and know. When my art teacher painted Willoughby gap after I gave her the photos to share with the class, it was one of the few times I did not think she captured the scene. Knowing it, is so important.
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