 Next I start working on the middle values.
First is the background. I pull out my number 1 filberts, rounds and flats to put in the shapes.
Working back to front, I move toward the middle ground and then lay in the first layers of the pasture. As I move forward…the brushes get bigger.
After I get the middle and foreground covered, I move back to the background to finish the details. I finished the out-building and fencing there. I can’t start the oak tree canopy, until the background is finished.
Next I put the first coat of paint on the gate and foreground fencing.Â
I also layed in the first grapevine leaves on the top of the butterfly gate. These strokes were thick and free-spirited. There is already a couple layers of paint on the pasture behind the leaves and since these will be very detailed at the end, I used more of a 3d modeling effect with my brushwork to make them pop out at the viewer.
The painting starts looking a little flat right about now, but that’s ok. In the final stages of painting, I will be putting in the darkest darks and highlights to accent the details and make it come alive!