Here’s my painting from a couple of days ago – my first for 2013.
(Unndiup. Plein air sketch. 25x35cm oil on board. © Andy Dolphin)
As mentioned in my earlier blog post, I had a pretty clear idea of where I was going with this one. I did a thumbnail sketch and decided that the brightly lit trunk contrasted against the dark foliage was key to the scene. In order to maintain its importance, I played down highlights on other parts of the tree including the second trunk to the left.
The track acts a as a strong support and invites the viewer to consider what might be around the corner. The shadow across the track adds visual interest and I suspect that this scene would be relatively boring if that shadow wasn’t there.