The way the light shimmers through leaves on a bright day is something so difficult to capture in a photograph or a painting. The contrasts between light and dark shift and change to be almost blinding.
This is a creek running through the Coconino National Forest in Arizona. It is near Flagstaff and Sedona, and the terrain varies from alpine to the red rocks of Sedona and creeks and forests of Ponderosa pines. The above scan is a VueScan image with some corrections. Below is one using Epson Scan.
Neither scan really does justice to the colors, but the sparkle is caught. I think like a camera a scanner and software has difficulty with subtle variations from light to dark.
Sigh.
So, what did I try to do today? First, a bit of a limited palette. I didn’t do a triad, as with yesterday’s painting. I used (off the top of my head) mostly ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, and burnt sienna, but into that mix I added Hooker’s green, cobalt teal, phthalo blue. The greys of the rocks came mostly from ultramarine and burnt sienna. Hooker’s provided a basis for some of the more obvious greens, but the cobalt teal mixed with yellow were used for the lighter, brighter greens you seen in springtime. Some titanium white gouache was applied here and there.
Additionally, besides limiting my colors, I tried some of the techniques for the water. Here, there were swaths of shallow water with an ochre coloring, reflections of rocks and trees in the water, and shadows beneath the rocks in the foreground and lower right. I didn’t use enough color and water to create a bead to allow blending – I have been told I would make a stingy bartender! – but still managed to get some of the colors to blend with one another. I also did glazes to show direction of water and movement. It turned out better than I thought it would – if nothing else, I need to be more generous and allow more paint and water than I think I will need. This something we all need to learn – how much is too little, how much is too much. Of course, the Goldilocks effect is best!
Watercolor, Arches 140# CP paper, 10×14.
Oh, hell – here’s another scan!!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
This is a lovely painting. The trees look as if they were lit from within. And your water reflections are bouncing the tree colors around.
This is a beautiful painting. I think the Vuescan does more justice to the colors.
Looks good on all the scans to me!
I feel that gouache in the trees could do with a bit more colour in it. I always find that gouache with colour sinks a bit after application and benefits with a further coat when it’s dry. Only when you’re using it as white highlights does it work first go.
Thanks for the insight, Graham. I will have to try that!
Thanks, Fraggy! I rather like them all, too, but each for a different section. Maybe I should do a photo merge to create an HDR to see what happens!
Thanks, Anne. I really like hearing how people respond to the different scans – and the paintings themselves. Glad you like them.
Thanks you, Laura Kate. I appreciate your observations – the water really was a challenge, but fun. And if you see the trees as lit within, then perhaps I did get that sparkle!
Beautiful.