Work in Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 13

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 13

             In the last week I’ve begun work on the fir trees on the left. I was anxious to get them in because they impact the mass of shrubs under the bridge. The abrupt stop of the shrub mass on its left edge was bothering me and influencing my opinion of the painting. With nothing else as dark the shrub mass was commanding too much attention. By adding the trees the eye is led further left, and the abrupt end of the mass is eliminated. The darks continue to move left until stopped with the large fir tree on the bank of the creek. I’ve added more snow on the tree than I first anticipated because I didn’t want a huge dark mass that might have proved too important, taking attention away from the Mill. As it is, with the snow laden branches, I think it becomes important enough, but (I hope) not too important.

            I used both masking fluid and white gouache for the snow. I started out masking out areas of snow on the trees, then painting the darks of the foliage, but eventually I added more white here and there with gouache later as I fine-tuned the snow. In some cases it wasn’t the right shape, in others there wasn’t enough or wasn’t placed just right. After looking at reference photos, it was necessary to make changes – and keep making changes – until I was satisfied. It’s still trial and error. In painting the masses of snow on the branches it’s important to keep in mind the underlying form, the branches that the snow is laying on. Those branches give form to the snow, so, even though you can’t really see the foliage very clearly, it is giving shape to the snow laying on top of it. You can’t just put in a blob of snow and color it. So, that is why I keep re-working the forms until they look correct- so they look like there are branches underneath. When I draw in and then paint the snow I have to feel the branch under it. If I don’t, I have to analyze it and make changes until it feels and looks right.

            The foliage is a combination of French ultramarine, hooker’s green, yellow ochre and cadmium yellow. In the darkest recesses I added permanent rose to the mix. I left the interior and unlit left side the darkest and added lighter colors to bring out some of the branches.

            Many purist watercolor artists frown on the use of gouache – or any other white paint. They feel that proper planning and preservation of the white paper is the path to follow. I admire their viewpoint and even their skill at being able to do that – and have it come out right. I feel too restricted following that mantra. In some ways I wish I could, and it still bothers me a bit to use white paint (and I will continue to strive for less white paint), but I still make changes to my paintings as I progress through them and need to add more white when necessary.

            At this point the upper one third of the largest tree is the most complete. The smaller two trees to the right are in various stages of completion. I’ll work my way down the large tree, adding, re-examining and re-working any area that doesn’t feel right. I’m hoping to have those trees complete by next posting.