More snow studies - Ed Terpening Fine Art

I’m back home, but still in the mindset to paint snow. Looking through my reference photos, I found one new one to tackle, and a second to try again. This first painting is the new one. I like it. It was really a study in warm/cool composition, and it was also fun to play with paint texture. I think I’m going to paint this again tomorrow, only larger. I’m also going to try painting the shadows on the other side of the bank less dark. Just a tad. I think as is it makes the painting a bit too heavy. What it needs is a bit more atmospheric depth. (Also a technical note: for some reason, my images look darker–sometimes a LOT darker–on PC monitors. I create the images on a Mac and adjust them there. I’m trying to find a happy medium by adjusting up the exposure on the Mac.)

Truckee River Study (Warms & Cools), Oil on Linen, 10×8

AVAILABLE IN MY STORE

I painted this scene a little differently last week, in my previous post. The focus there was more on the tree shadow, where here I tried to balance the scene a bit with more interesting areas, such as the opposite bank. Kept is loose, although I had to scrape a repaint the water a couple times. It was looking to “dabb-y”. Although ocean water scenes should have lots of edges, this one required something simple, flat. The eye needs a place to rest, and there’s a lot going on above and below the water.

Snow Shadows 2, Oil on Linen, 8×10

AVAILABLE IN MY STORE

BTW, this painting was painted on top of another (a seascape, actually). I’ve been painting over old paintings for a while now. I lightly sand any paint ridges in the old painting, and just paint right over it. I like letting little bits of the old painting showing through as they create fun, unexpected moments. I also find I paint more loose when working on an old canvas. Nothing to loose, I guess.

3 thoughts on “More snow studies”

Debbie says:

March 22, 2009 at 2:06 pm

Hi Ed,

So happy I found your blog. Great article in American Artist. I love the warm and cool colors in the Truckee River Study. I too love dappled light and like how you incorporated it into Snow Shadows.
I noticed you paint on linen. Do you find much of a difference between linen and canvas? I have been thinking about trying linen. Thanks for all the info Ed. Happy painting!
Debbie

Ed Terpening says:

March 22, 2009 at 5:05 pm

Hi Debbie, welcome to my blog, and thank you for your kind comment!

I do like prefer linen over canvas. Canvas is a bit too “even” in texture. I really like oil primed linen. I find it easier in every stage of painting, from transparent underwash painting to the final touches, where the linen has just the right amount of tooth.

I primarily use RayMar double-primed linen, although they’re expensive, so I also often use Fredrix linen panels, which are very good too.

Holly Van Hart says:

March 24, 2009 at 2:59 am

Hey Ed, I love your blue and purple shadows in these paintings (and also in your previous painting, Where Shadows Meet). Keep ’em coming! Holly

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply