STAGE 2

Yellow is the most eye-grabbing color on earth. Against the greys from my palette it’s at maximum power. My “wet layering” technique starts with all thin paint and is tooled on with the fan brush, leaving the sunlit water to last. I work fast, getting the main elements in with thin paint mixed strokes. Speed forces randomness. Keeping the highlight area to last holds the drama. The darker top one-third gets our compositional mathematics right.

Reference Photo

I took this from a cherry picker about 20 feet up with my Canon D70 hooked to a 70-200mm 2.8 lens. The clarity from that married to the precision from my Ezyart magnifier empowers me to do virtually any size painting I choose without guessing detail. fan brush. With thin paint its pliable hairs leave certain and sure broad marks, while its blade is great for line work. I use bold random strokes to project spontaneity.

» cadmium yellow pale, ultramarine blue, permanent red, burnt umber, viridian, titanium white soft, liquin impasto liner and fan brush, Ezyart magnifier, turpentine thinner with 20 percent linseed oil, cotton duck canvas (dry and toothy) on stretcher...