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| Exhibit A: The Beaver Lodge |
This is pretty good for my first attempt at such a thing. I've despised backgrounds since forever, and been quite intimidated by complex detail...such as might be presented by a twig-covered beaver lodge. Certainly I simplified the lodge and its coverings. I also simplified the background, well oversimplified. It's just a greenish blob back there now. I think the lack of definition in the background aids in putting your focus on the beaver lodge, nonetheless, improvement will be had. I'm quite pleased with the grass in the mid-ground and the lily pads in the foreground. I'm also quite pleased with the lodge itself. I think the simplification worked.
One of the things that captured my interest about this particular reference photo was the reflection in the water. It was pretty still so just a few ripples and lots of reflection. Again I've oversimplified. There is indication of reflections and of ripples, but I'm not satisfied with only the indication. I want to be successful at depicting reflections.
So I thought I'd try again!
With a beaver dam.
Because twigs, and because reflections.
This time I did better with the background. I've got detail and definition, and am successfully pushing it away in the distance. It looks like I could push those conifers in the mid-ground a bit further back too. Here I tried to pay more attention to the reflections. After drawing out the dam, I turned the paper 90 degrees and drew in the reflections as best I could (not pictured because forgetfulness). The reflection was further complicated by large ripples. I tried a thing where I chose 2 vanishing points and created a surface for the water in perspective. Then I tried to align the ripples to the resulting grid, and then tried to align the reflections to the ripples.
It didn't work out and I lost patience. The first of several such incidences. I decided to just do the best with what I had at that point in time. An attempt to "fake it."
Well, here's what happens when I try to fake it. There are clearly reflections and of ripples, but they are inconsistent. There are some things going on in both the dam and the reflection that don't correspond in its opposite, or the angles are a bit off. And those ripples haven't quite decided what direction they're all rippling in. Also, I'm not sure if it's this photo or the painting, but there needs to be more contrast added on the dam.
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One day later....
I've increased contrast on the dam and on some of the blades of grass. I also tried to push the mid-ground foliage back a bit, but am not sure that much difference is to be had there.
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One day later....
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| Completed: The Beaver Dam |
I've increased contrast on the dam and on some of the blades of grass. I also tried to push the mid-ground foliage back a bit, but am not sure that much difference is to be had there.
I felt frustrated several times during this painting. The first, as mentioned above was when I couldn't get the drawing of the reflections and ripples to work. Then I felt frustrated trying to achieve contrast and body in the twigs and logs that make up the dam. Then again when trying to paint the water. Lots of frustration here.
I want to try painting reflections in rippling water again. I'm thinking about drawing out the reflections very clearly so I have an actual mirror image, then distorting the established reflections along a grid in two point perspective. I think this technique could work, I just need to practice more patience.
On the whole, I'm happy with these two because they pushed me out of my comfort zone. They also turned out alright for my first efforts at these tricky subjects.
On the whole, I'm happy with these two because they pushed me out of my comfort zone. They also turned out alright for my first efforts at these tricky subjects.