Yellow Leaves I

Yellow Leaves I
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale, click to bid in the auction.

I admired this tree from a bridge that crosses a creek at one of my favorite walking locations. It was a sunny afternoon but the trees along the creek create strong shadows and I was drawn to the way the branches stand out against the dark background.

Trees branches can be a challenge to paint. Should I paint the background first and then paint the branches over it, or should I make a drawing first and the paint within the lines? I’ve tried a number of strategies, none of them are easy!