Reaching: Concepts

The next painting that I am working on involves some pictures of mountains that I saw when I was kayaking in the San Juan Islands. There are so many landscape scenes available and it is pretty hard to choose what to paint.

After working on various concept sketches involving this mountain, I have decided on three potential ideas.

The first concept shows a road/foreground going towards the mountain. Adding atmospheric depth will make this a fairly interesting painting. I could envision the foreground being a

desert with a really dry ground... maybe some patches of green here and there to represent some life.

The second concept sketch would have two large greek pillars present behind the mountain. The foreground is reduced to be a minor player in the scene. The main thrust of the painting would be the majesty of the moutains contrasting with the pillars.

The final concept painting involves more of an interaction of the mountain scene with the spheres around it. This was the first drawing and I think that it has some serious merit to it. Of all of the drawings, I like the feel of this one the most. To make this painting work, the contrast of the mountain (dark) against the sphere (light) has to really stand out.

Therefore, the final painting will be my choice. Since this is a mountainous scene, it will also be on my largest canvas: 22 x 28. The purpose is to make sure that the mountain takes up most of the scene and is the predominant object in the painting.