WILLOW CREEK SUNSET
Winter Painting Of Weeping Willows

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WINTER LANDSCAPE PAINTING
Winter Sunset Wall Art

This watercolor landscape painting depicts a peaceful winter scene of sunset streaming through snow-covered weeping willows above a winding creek. For prices, sizes, information about many fine products with this image such as art prints, posters, art cards, canvas prints, acrylic prints, framing, throw pillows, duvet covers, shower curtains, tote bags, phone cases and more . . .

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Winter Weeping Willow Creek Sunset

 

ORIGINAL PAINTING

WILLOW CREEK SUNSET PAINTING
Details Of Watercolor Painting In Progress

Pratiques des Arts, an arts magazine in Paris, requested a winter sunset through tree painting in progress. The painting called WILLOW CREEK SUNSET is based on my experience, observation of nature and entirely from my imagination. For all budding artists interested in my method, here is my WILLOW CREEK SUNSET watercolor painting in progress with step-by-step description.


winter landscape step 1 Step 1:
Since this is a watercolor, I never use white paint. The white that you see in my paintings is always the white of the paper - I don't even own a tube of white watercolor paint- nor black, for that matter. Once the watercolor has been put on the paper, it is there to stay. Some adjustments are possible; however, it is very difficult to achieve drastic changes without spoiling the watercolor effect. That is why I complete a light pencil drawing of the subject before I begin to paint. In this case, I drew a general outline of the weeping willow trunk, main tree limbs, branches and creek in order to locate the sun in an optimum position for focal point and dramatic effect. I use 2" wide cellophane tape to secure a sheet of 22"x30" 300 lb. d'Arches rough bright white watercolor paper to a pane of tempered glass laid flat on my drafting table.


winter landscape painting step 2 Step 2:
I begin by laying down a layer of clear water with a large brush from the top of the paper to the horizon, taking care to leave the area dry where I want to locate the sun. In this painting, I begin by applying a soft wet layer of aquamarine blue at the top blending to rose madder and then to yellow gamboge the closer I get to the sun, making sure to leave the area of sunlight untouched by paint. In watercolor, timing is everything - patience is a virtue! When the wet paint dries to just the right amount of sheen, I drop a few drops of clear water into the centre of the distant trees and watch the color flow and spread to the tree tops. Resist the urge to continue. Be patient and allow the paint to dry. I add some tree trunks, limbs and branches in pale aquamarine blue to represent the distant trees on the horizon furthest from the sun.


winter landscape painting step 3 Step 3:
As I develop the distant trees on the horizon, I use blends of rose madder to bridge the color from aquamarine blue on the left to yellow gamboge closer to the sun. I use subtle tones of aquamarine, rose madder and yellow gamboge to develop the contours of the land surrounding the creek, being careful to allow the white of the paper to remain the highlights of the snow where I imagine the sunlight would fall. The yellow gamboge represents the warm glow of the sun as it glides from the white highlights across the snow while aquamarine blue represents the shadows. Rose madder is a natural transition, the soft intermediate color that separates the yellow and blue and keeps them from turning green and becoming muddy. Limiting colors to these three unifies the painting and defines the light and shadows of the composition.


winter landscape painting step 4 Step 4:
I add another layer of aquamarine blue, rose madder and yellow gamboge to deepen the sky tones. These are added in strokes radiating from the sun. As the painting dries, I gently lift some color with a clean damp brush from the sun outward to prevent the blue from getting close to the sun. This represents the crepuscular rays emanating from the sun through the foreground trees. I am still careful to leave the sun untouched white paper. When this is dry, I begin to paint the tree trunks, limbs and branches in deeper tones of these same three colors taking care to leave white highlights where the sun hits and painting a golden yellow blend of gamboge and rose madder on the branches closest to the sun's rays. The distant branches furthest from the sun are painted in aquamarine blue where shadows fall and sunlight fades.


winter landscape painting step 5 Step 5:
I continue to build layers of yellow and rose madder onto the tree limbs and branches nearest to the sun, adding to the depth of color. The areas of the branches that are behind the sun's rays are kept lighter than the rest of the branch. I add more color layers to the sun rays - white to yellow closest to the sun, deeper tones of yellow and rose madder further from the sun. I am still careful not to lose the white sun, leaving it untouched by paint. I begin to develop the smaller branches of the willow tree in deeper tones of aquamarine blue, being careful to allow the sun's rays to be in the foreground by painting the background branches in deeper tones of rose and yellow. I continue to add more branches to define the unique shape of a weeping willow tree. The heavy older limbs and branches rise up. The recent growth falls.


winter landscape painting step 6 Step 6:
Introducing a forth color to the painting, I begin to add some VanDyke brown to the tree limbs and branches that are closer to the sun, omitting the deeper brown from areas of the branches where the sun rays stream through and where the sunlight illuminates a branch. These areas are left in the golden yellow tone. I add another layer of color to extend the rays of sunlight with yellow gamboge and rose madder. I add more hanging willow branches in the background. Each aquamarine willow branch that passes through or hangs behind a ray of sunlight is painted in a rose madder and yellow combination in various degrees of intensity. I systematically develop the network of weeping willow branches as they would grow in nature, taking care to maintain the clarity of the sun rays. I paint some more snow-covered ground.


winter landscape painting step 7 Step 7:
Using the same three original colors, I continue to develop the contours of the snow-covered ground surrounding the creek and below the trees, extending the light rays into the foreground. I define the shape of the second willow tree by adding aquamarine shadows in areas where the sun would not hit. I blend a soft layer of rose madder into the center background to create a misty effect and deepen the tone of the painting to please my eyes. I add VanDyke brown in dry brush technique to define details of the tree bark in sunny areas. I add tones of Payne's grey (not black) in dry brush technique skimming across the aquamarine blue of the shadowed branches allowing my brush to take advantage of the rough texture of the watercolor paper to create the deep contours and bark texture that are unique to this tree.


winter landscape painting step 8 Step 8:
I paint deeper color tones of rose and blue into areas of the snowy ground to better define the contours. I paint some snow-covered rocks into the creek using the same three snow colors, making sure to leave white highlights in areas where the sun hits. I continue to build layers of branches onto the back tree. I paint more large limbs to strengthen the realism in tones of brown, rose and yellow where sunlight is dominant and tones of Payne's Gray and blue where I imagine shadows to be. I paint more hanging branches in the background, adding to the depth of color. I paint more branches into the windswept front tree on the left using aquamarine blue, leaving light areas of branches to represent sunlit snow highlights. Using a deeper shade of aquamarine, I paint the scruffy new branches that grew from the broken limb.


winter landscape painting step 9 Step 9:
I deepen the blue tone of the painting by applying a soft layer of aquamarine blue over the background radiating my brush strokes out from the sun and leaving the light rays a lighter shade. I add a deeper layer of blue to the snowy ground on both sides of the painting to keep the highlights focused in the center region. I continue to paint details of the left foreground tree trunk and develop an intricate network of willow limbs, branches and hanging twigs in various tones of aquamarine blue and Payne's gray leaving the snow-covered areas untouched. I paint the fallen tree limb below where it had broken off. I add a few weed twigs poking out from the snow below the tree. Since the light source comes from behind, I paint a few shadows from the back tree that I imagine would fall onto the foreground left tree trunk.


winter landscape painting step 10 Step 10:
Beginning at the distant horizon, I paint the creek in tones of yellow gamboge and rose madder to mirror the golden light, leaving the snowbanks white here to reflect the intense bright sun. I use VanDyke brown in a few deep shadow areas to add detail but keep this distant section of the creek a golden tone. As the creek flows toward the foreground, I paint the frosty water in blue with deep Payne's gray shadows along the water's edges. In areas of the foreground creek that are in sunshine, I paint the golden tones. Colors get deeper as the creek gets closer. I leave plenty of white highlights on the snow-covered rocks and fallen log in the creek. I paint some golden rock detail in the creek bed near the bottom edge and add the shadow of the log so that it appears to be spanning the creek above the water level.


winter landscape painting step 11 Step 11:
Throughout the painting process, I concentrate on creating a balance in a painting - light and dark, warm and cool colors, rough and smooth texture, near and far spaces, high and low chroma, soft and hard edges, realistic focal point and impressionistic background, etc. These Yin and Yang elements create the tension, the excitement, the life in a painting. I always stand back, look at my painting with a critical eye and study all these elements within a composition to determine areas that I can improve. At this point, I decide to add more upper limbs and branches to the tree on the right to give it more height, dimension and greater contrast to the leaning tree on the left. I add a snow-covered foreground rock to balance the dark areas of the painting. Using a razor blade, I scrape some sparkling dangling branches into the right and left shadows.
 


watercolor winter painting
WINTER LANDSCAPE: WILLOW CREEK SUNSET

Original image size: 22" x 30"
Framed to size: 32" x 40"
Original painting $3000.00

hand-painted by



 

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COMMISSION AN ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE PAINTING
Order A Painting Of Your Favorite Landscape

Request a quotation for the commission of your own original landscape painting for your personal collection or for a fundraising project. Commission your own original watercolor, oil on canvas or acrylic painting or wall mural of your favorite photograph of a winter scene that is dear to you - perhaps a family cottage view, the place you proposed, your honeymoon destination, your hometown, a charming vacation spot with happy memories.

I would be delighted to examine your photographs and offer suggestions. All commissions are hand-painted or drawn personally with sensitivity by Hanne Lore Koehler. We deliver worldwide. Satisfaction guaranteed. International clients welcome!

Painting of winter weeping willow creek sunset

 

COMMENTS

Hanne Lore Koehler:

To all the outstanding contemporary artists below who took the time to visit my website and comment on my work, I am deeply touched by your generous comments and warm welcome into the international community of artists hosted by Fine Art America! Your overwhelming support and selfless promotion are heart-warming. I am honored to get to know you through your art.

Comments by other artists:

Sandi OReilly
Just gorgeous work, Hanne, love this!!

Angela Davies
Such dramatic beauty, wow! Love the light!

Marilyn McNish
Stunning! Absolutely stunning Hanne! Your eye for shadows, details and colors as well as your talent with the brush is nothing short of amazing! WOW!!

Bonnie Mason
Fantastic work, Hanne! And congrats on being in the magazine!! LF

Nicklas Gustafsson
Incredible work! So beautiful

Cindy Treger
Wow, Hanne, this is simply stunning - great imagination. f/l

Kelly Miyuki Kimura
Wow wow wow!!! Amazing!

Marilyn Zalatan
Very awesome use of light and shadows!

Johanna Hurmerinta
Hanne... your paintings are so gorgeous! This new willow creek sunset is stunning! LF FB

Scott Kingery
Love the way you handled the sun's rays! Masterfully done, Hanne! L/F

Jane Powell
Beautiful winter scene, Hanne! Love the light shining on the tree and snow! Amazing painting

For best quality highest resolution images, buy your canvas and art prints of winter paintings direct from Koehler Art Studio online from this website. Order art prints, canvas prints, acrylic prints, metal prints, posters, art cards and many more fine products with this original winter landscape painting by artist Hanne Lore Koehler called WILLOW CREEK SUNSET! Commission an original painting of your favorite landscape, winter sunset, winter woods, winter forest stream, winter fun painting, winter watercolor painting, winter creek painting, snow landscape painting direct from artist Hanne Lore Koehler.



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