Here is an Italian-style entry gate that seem to be very popular in this region. Some are quite ordinary, but others such as this one above, seem ancient and are truly beautiful. They have interesting stone-work and feature decorative plaques, wrought iron rings and other adornments. As far as I could tell, they serve no purpose other than to mark the driveway to a sprawling property or maybe just to one-up the neighbor.
Since the entire gate is the main focus, I kept the other elements at a minimum. There were some complex trees, and an entire horse stable in the background which I eliminated. It was difficult to see the light direction on the form because of the stone color, so I forced the issue by painting a simple blocked in shadow on the front side and then a lighter color for the “sunny” side. It was only after these two colors were massed in, did I get involved with the subtle color shifts and textures. The iron rings were added last, but kept very close in value, so you’ll only see them on closer inspection. Good drawing was key to pulling this one off, plus a variety of edges.
Below is our group at another incredible dinner. Smiles everyone! Ciao.
Hi Greg. Nice job separating the light and shadow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for talking about how you edited the scene.
Have fun painting in Italy.
Beautiful painting Greg! I want to step into it ans see what's around the corner. The tip about choosing a strong light source is perfect for the June gloom we've had here in OC, must remember it when I'm out next.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I mentioned your blog in my last post so, hopefully a few of my readers will head over here and start following your blog.
Hope you all had a great time in Italy!