One Flight Up

Acrylic on 8x10 canvas panel

Available through DPW gallery/auction

This is my submission to this months Virtual Paintout, that is visiting Valparaiso, Chile. Here's the link to the original google view. 

It took me a while to scroll around the area, looking for something to paint. I have to say, 2 things this area of Chile has plenty of: loose dogs & graffiti! After looking around & taking lots of screen shots, I decided on this scene. I wanted to play up the colors in the rocks, the blue flowers, the yellow house & the laundry hanging. 

My first attempt with this painting was bland - it didn't have the contrast or "pop." I've always worried about  making the darks too dark and the lights too light. I have decided to concentrate on that more these days, and push the darks & lights further apart, so to speak. By using selective washes of Burnt Umber, Dioxazine Purple & Cad Yellow medium, I was able to add the darks & lights in the areas I wanted.

Here's a look at the original:

Too much in it was the same tone, or value - I needed to add more shadows & more highlights. And with the highlights, I carried that sun-yellow into more areas than just the building. I rather like the final outcome on this.

Part of this is caused by the tone & values in the original image, and it's always a danger when painting from photographs that the tones & values are reproduced the same. Pushing it further is key to getting more interest & depth.