Developing "Wahatoya Homestead"

I began this painting a little differently than I usually do, by sketching with a brush to determine the main shapes. Usually I tone the painting support with a thin color and wipe off the lightest areas, gradually adding values to create the composition. This one is done on a 12" x 16" gessoed panel. I used the principal of thirds to place the rock wall in the composition. This is the reference photo I used for this painting I began adding the local colors and working on patterns of color for the foreground, hoping to lead toward the barn and then on up to the rock wall. More work on the foreground. I decided to add some yellow wildflowers that are common in this area in the spring. Next I worked on extending a dark value pattern from the left edge down to the bottom of the painting. Once I set the patterns, I worked on developing bushes and shrubs. I also worked on the barn and was not satisfied with it. More work on the barn.... as well as the middle ground foliage The barn grew... After much fiddling with the barn, I decided to draw what I wanted, from a photo, that I had to flop. My barn had grown too tall after working with it so much and it needed to be smaller. Here are pictures of this process: I did a sketch of the barn on tracing paper to get the size right. The photo clipped to the painting is my reference photo. Then I used the sketch as a reference to sketch the new barn, with a brush, over the old barn.

This is during the process of creating the new barn, working with the background to eliminate the old barn.

This is my finished painting, "Wahatoya Homestead"