Merced River Reflections

This is the second demonstration of water reflections which involves moving water. My art is not a photo realistic but more of an impressionistic so my approach to moving water is to try to grab the feeling of rushing white water but not every detail.

Step 1 I draw in the shapes and block in some of the darks with the pastel pencil. Notice the light lines dividing the paper into 1/3s. This approach is an aid in drawing and composition.

Step 1- Draw in basic shapes. A good time for drawing corrections if needed

Step 2-Start blocking in darks and lights

Step 3 - Continue blocking in shapes but because this water is moving I am adding more horizontal strokes earlier in the drawing process

Step 4 - Push the color to get some expression of the scene and not just copy nature

Step 5 - Add the final light areas of moving water using expressive strokes of color

Yosemite Valley Reflections

"Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. "  Salvador Dali 
This blog is for my Tuesday night pastel class. Hi class!
I thought it would be fun to post the step by step for our class, "How do we paint water?"
I read once that the least you do to water the better. In other words, try to get down the essence of water and then quit messing with it. I like to create a vertical stoke of color because reflections are a large part of what makes water look wet. Those shapes are a reflection of the vertical objects from above the water.
I know it's a bit complicated drawing - lots of shapes - but I'm excited about my trip to Yosemite so I just couldn't help but create an pastel from my trip. In class we may take just a part of the image and work on that.

So lets' start with drawing in the basic shapes. (Wolf Kahn doesn't like drawing in the basic shapes but that's for another lesson"

Step 1 -Draw in the basic shapes

Step 2 - Add local color

Step 3 - Block in reflected color.

Step 4 - Add more vertical strokes of color. That which is dark above will be reflected a bit lighter and the light colors will be reflected a bit darker creating reflected color which is closer in value.

Step 5 - Add lighter areas to water and horizontal strokes to depict movement