Color photo reference

This demo was supposed to be a painting from B&W photo using the BFK Rives surface. However, I decided I wanted to do some paintings from the C&O Canal and realized that there was a lot of drawing involved and the Pastelbord might be better. I also did some quick color studies on the Rives and the surface just didn’t work for me. It’s good to have alternatives!  Because this was to be a demo and required a lot of drawing, I like being able to do a fairly detailed lay in, using either charcoal or graphite. I decided to use graphite (4B and 6B) in this case as I could produce finer lines and detail.

I will be using both a black and white and color photo. I like the colors in the photo and want to maintain them to some extent. However, as you’ll see in the next post, I’ll be using more color in the underpainting.

I like the composition in the photo, which consists of three diagonal shapes plus that wonderful tree at the left. What I like about the tree is that it curves back to the right at the top so it doesn’t lead the eye out of the picture plane.  So I’m not making any major changes to the composition, just simplifying a bit here and there.

Technique was the next thing I had to decided. With so much drawing, I was concerned about doing a hard pastel underpainting and considered watercolor. But, I don’t have great luck with water color and decided to stick with the hard pastel, which produces a much richer wash. Will show the color choices in the next post.

In the initial lay in, there is a large shape of rock to the left that doesn’t look good. However, I plan to modulate the color in it and place pieces of sunlit twigs, etc. over it, so I think it will be OK.  What I really love is the reflections of the rock in the water with the sunlit edges. Will focus on that in the painting.

Lay in with graphite on white 12 x 16 Pastelbord