This is the beginning stage for Cardinal Flowers Meadow.  It starts with a photo (or many photos) of the scene to be painted. The main areas of the subject are sketched on the canvas with charcoal, then those lines are carefully painted over. When that paint is dry, all traces of the charcoal are wiped away.

The sky sets the mood of the subject and is painted first. Areas where depth is shown, such as forests, are painted first in black. When this is dry, a second coat is applied. Then colours such as Prussian Blue and Alizarin Crimson added to Lamp Black. Winsor Newton oils are preferred. In the foreground, a thin layer of blue is added as a guide to where the water will be. The white areas left are for trees and rocks that are in the foreground.

Here you can see the various shades of green in the trees have been added. The sky is finished and trees that interject over the skyline are now in place. The deeper parts of the water now have a layer of Prussian Blue, Alizarin Crimson, and a touch of Lamp Black. The less dense areas of the water have thin layers of pale blue and mauve shades. This is important because it will later give a sense of moving water. The foreground trees now are blocked in with a mixture of black, crimson, blue, and also burnt umber.

Gradual Build-Up of Colours

Thin layers of different blue shades are now painted over all the water, and a thin layer of deeper mauve is imposed in the foreground. As well, the rocks are started in the same manner as the rest of the painting, with darker paint to give depth in some areas.

The Final Product

After all the background depth has been completed, the detail elements are then added.  This is the most meticulous and time consuming portion in the development of the painting. Finally, the finished product.

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