Cape Disappointment Finished

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Finishing with the final steps on the cliff left side which needs more earth tones and detailing. I need to darken all the way down to where the water is splashing up onto the rocks. It is probably the highest contrast area of the painting. The lighthouse and other exterior buildings at the top of the cliff are rendered using grays and black for shadow and shape. Final adjustments throughout the rest of the painting are completed using red tones on the cliffside, and darker tones along each wave crest and the shoreline. All small touches are so important to give it that final “Zing” of movement and shape.

Commission is Finished

The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse on the cliff ridge alongside the mouth of the Columbia River (view taken from Waikiki Beach, Oregon).

Cape Disappoinment Lighthouse — Cape Disappointment Lighthouse I1717 22″w x 15.25″h watercolor on 300lb WC paper

Cape Disappointment 5

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse 5

To finish up this commission, my approach is to systematically address any blaring problems as I see them. From this point on, I typically add details to the most blaring areas first then proceed onto the next blaring area.

The first areas catching my attention are the two areas on the cliff where the mastic was applied. They are way too bright and have the wrong shapes. I apply a light wash of earth tones to both of those areas to bring both of their values more into line. Okay, now they seem less blaring.

Now, I carefully check and add shapes and colors as I see them from my reference images beginning with the middle areas and working my way out to the edges.

Cape Disappointment 4

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse 4

It is time to remove the mastic so I can get down to the details in painting this view. I start on the left side of the image. Do you see the crisp whites appear where the yellow once was in the wave breaking in the foreground?

Then we proceed to the right side till all of the mastics are removed. Not all areas that I am removing the watercolor resist from, were totally white when I applied the mastic. But, the stark white is especially noticeable in the cliff further away, but where some of the original light wash shows through in the front area it is not so bright.

Cape Disappointment 3

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse 3

The cliffs at the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse in Oregon are highlighted first with one of my favorite colors, Quinacridone Gold by Daniel Smith. I am replacing the colors I run out of with this brand whenever possible because the colors are so vibrant. To darken the cliffside in the areas that are recessed along the shore I use an earth tone created by mixing greens and reds. This color combo creates the best blacks, a great array of darkness.

The same blues used in the sky are then added to the ocean swells along with greens and purples to mark the darkest areas in the waves. Water always seems to reflect the sky so well.

The trees and shrubbery are next. I begin by drawing trees with a thin wash of light gray to show the furthest fading into the distance. Then, I add greens and browns in various amounts to brighten the trees and shrubs as they come closer. Closer is always brighter. If it is where the light is shining it becomes even brighter there.

Cape Disappointment 2

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse 2

Here is what the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse painting looks like with the mastic applied to all the areas I want to reserve. The resist is yellow, so don’t forget and think that the yellow is actually a paint that is on your paper. Now I will be able to wash colors into larger areas without worrying about ruining all the white areas for later.

I begin with a wet wash in the sky above the cliffs using mainly Cerulean blue real wet with swipes and drops of Ultramarine Blue. I want a clear blue sky with a couple of light clouds.

Cape Disappointment Commission

Commission

A watercolor of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is what my client wanted for their parents at Christmas. Here are some of the steps taken to create this painting. I received an example showing what they were thinking of but they wanted a warmer-looking day maybe with some sun.

Here is a sunnier shot of the same area that had a great array of sunny colors in it.

Taking a look through my own photographs to find a shot taken of that same bay while we were on vacation on the coast of Oregon. This just so happened to be a beautiful sunny day when my husband and I hiked up to the lighthouse a few years ago with a couple of friends.

I began with a sketch made from my own photograph of the area, liking the wave layout much better. It seemed sunnier and welcoming with its pattern of currents.

I quickly realized that I would not be able to preserve all the little areas of white without using some mastic (watercolor resist) to reserve the many areas and foam in the surf. I let the surface fully dry and then applied this mastic resist before I am able to proceed.