Daily Painting Practice- Autumn on the lake - sailing from the color sketch

Starting the  larger painting  from the last post.

 Having completed the color sketch it is time to try and create a larger version.  I think I used an old tube of red lake madder or some strange color like that  to sketch the composition.

I am always amazed that with just three values and two colors you can get the feeling of a quiet lake.

Sketch in  the sky color and the distant shore line.  Remember the reflection is darker than the sky.

 I thought it might be nice to compare the  original color sketch  with the larger version as I go along.

 Time to work on those clouds. In the smaller version the large  block of light clouds worked. In the larger version, I think I need to break up that large cloud mass a bit.

 That's better. Now let's  look at the trees.

 I found it helps to start with a larger mass of color and then break it down into smaller shapes.

There is a big difference between, laying the color on top of the underpainting rather than into the paint of the under painting.  I fight this all the time.  Picking up the paint from the underpainting can kill your color and make everything seem muddy.

That dead branch gave me  a lot of trouble.

 Completed the painting but..... the larger version doesn't hold my attention. I think it needs a focal point.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

 Autumn Sail

12"x16"

oil on hardboard