Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 6

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 6

            This past week has been very busy and I’ve not gotten as much done on this painting as I would have liked. I’m teaching some colored pencil classes and that has taken up much time. Also, my constant companion, Peaches, our wonderful Cocker Spaniel, is nearly 15 years old now and requiring more of our time. We’ve shared many adventures, many trips to the mountains, and hiked many trails together. She’s gone just about everywhere we have. Since my retirement we’ve spent just about all our waking hours together. My wife and I are devoting more time to her now, for her appetite is diminishing and we’re exploring all kinds of food options to coax her into eating more.

            On to the painting.

So, at this point I’ve nearly finished the tree mass on the right side – all except for the details on the foliage that’s catching sunlight. After roughing in the light and dark areas I began layering in the dark shadows. To do this I alternated chrome oxide green (FC) and tuscan red (P). To keep the area from being solid black I made irregular patches of Tuscan red. These areas, when combined with chrome oxide green formed the deepest shadows. Areas without the last layer of tuscan red were not quite as dark and suggested foliage in shade but not deep shade. This adds a bit of three dimensionality to the structure and keeps it from appearing flat. Here and there I added a bit of chartreuse (P).

            Next I’ll finish up the foliage masses that are catching sunlight. After that, I think I’ll start work on the palms on the left side.

I'm still having problems getting photos to post here. So, please check my website for the discussion and photos. Thanks.