Art Challenge 19Finalist
Ray Ward British Columbia, Canada, Tidal Pool at Nightfall, oil, 18 x 42" (46 x 107 cm)
My Inspiration
I visit the West Coast of Vancouver
Island at least once a year, and this beach
is a particular favourite of mine. It is a
visually stimulating place and I never tire
of it. The winter months are a good time
to see the storms that bring huge surf
and grey skies, and the other seasons are
great for beach walking and enjoying the
spectacular scenery. While there, I gather
reference and search for ideas for future
paintings.
My Design Strategy
For this painting, I chose a wide format
to place emphasis on the tidal pool in the
center, and to feature the island in the
background. The bottom of the tidal pool
served as a lead in to the painting, similar
to the way a path does in a landscape. I use
this design technique in many paintings,
whether it is a river, stream or other body
of water. I played around with the shape of
the tidal pool when doing sketches until
I was satisfied. I wanted it to be interesting
but not an odd shape that would be
distracting. The center of interest lies
at the point where the setting sun has
just dipped below the tree line, and the
reflection beneath.My Working Process
I start with a few small sketches to work
out the composition, and from that I do
a simple drawing on the canvas or panel.
If the design is basic I may start without
a drawing. This is followed with an earth
tone wash to remove the white of the
surface. When this has dried I begin by
painting in thin layers from top to bottom,just blocking in shapes on the first pass.
On the subsequent layers, I’ll start adding
detail and tidying up areas and making
changes as I see fit. I usually do between
three to five layers, sometimes more if
there is a lot of glazing in a particular
piece. I generally use a limited palette,
with about three to six colours plus black
and white.Contact Details» Email: [email protected]
» Website: http://www.rayward.caUnderstand values before color. — Harley Brown