Pleasant Hill Lake commission

I was honored to have been asked by a friend to paint an image of a lake where her parents have a cottage. After sending a handful of photos she had of the lake we discussed the one that I thought might have the most promise for creating an intriguing painting. From that point she really allowed me free artistic license. I sent her image updates of my work in progress so she could comment or recommend changes. Above is the finished painting.

I first toned my canvas with cadmium red and then blocked in the sky, horizon and water.

Then I added some detail to the horizon and foreground. The trick is to allow the red undertones to peek through to add contrast, depth and excitement.

Next, I’ve added detail to the trees on the horizon and worked in some more of the final colors as well as adding the beginning of the reflection in the water.

Here, I added more detail to the foreground.

Now I am working in earnest on the foliage in the foreground in advance of adding the final touches seen in the top image.