Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 12

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 12

            After getting in most of the waterfall, I felt that I would get to work on the left side. The bank of the creek as well as the evergreen trees would be the focus of my efforts for the next couple of weeks. The mass of shrubs on the bank below the bridge was also bothering me. There was still something about the shrubs that I was unhappy with but I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And I still can’t. I’ve tinkered with it, breaking up the snow, adding more detail in the form of leaves. All that has helped, but I’m still troubled by them.

            As you can see, I’ve worked more into the lower left corner. Still working with winsor blue and paynes gray, I began to define the contours, irregularities, bumps and depressions associated with the bank. I started to define the large rocks on the creek edge. This was done by slowly building up the values, checking carefully the nuances in the shade patterns on the forms. At times I’ve had a tendency to want to rush a bit faster with darker washes but I’ve resisted the temptation to go too fast. I may be too cautious, but I still feel slowly creeping up on the desired value and detail is preferable. It is easier to add detail than to take away an overly heavy wash.

            In this past week’s session I also added much to the area just below the falls – the area where the water normally spills into a pool before rushing on down the stream. Underlying rocks and buildup of freezing water causes the formation of more interesting textures. The running water still causes small valleys and slits as it falls to lower levels and that still gives the feeling of movement, even though much of the falls is frozen. You can still see how the water runs off the edge onto the rocks below and how it flows over and around underlying rock formations. The forms of the rocks are still there, just covered with ice.

            The spots below the fall where liquid water still flows was more paynes gray than blue. I indicated small ripples by leaving streaks and spots of light value.

            After the values and shapes on the creek bank were complete I added the grasses that still poke out through the snow. For that I used a mix of yellow ochre, raw umber and raw sienna and a liner brush. Then I went back in with paynes gray to darken the spots where the grasses emerged from the snow.

            These areas are not finished yet. I will be deepening the values where necessary. For instance, the liquid water at the base of the falls needs to be darkened somewhat. I think the grasses on the bank could use a bit more work. In fact, more subtle detailing is needed as I go forward. After that I will tackle the fir trees on the left.