Ellicott Creek at Dusk

Ellicott Creek at Dusk
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

What attracted me to painting this scene was the surreal mood that the woods can take on right after sunset. I wanted to capture the luminosity of the sky and water so I used acrylics in a transparent manner similar to watercolor. I know from my experience with watercolor that if I overwork the painting it can lose the brilliance that can be achieved with transparent washes, so I focused on the essence of the image and aimed to get the colors and the values correct without making too many corrections. The original painting is available.

Walking at Dusk

Walking at dusk
Acrylic on gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

I took a walk just before sunset and by the time I made it the point where I normally turn around, the sun had just sunk below the horizon. On one hand that means there’s going to more mosquitos to deal with, but on the other hand the sky had turned into an impressive display of color. I took a few reference photos so I could create a painting of it in my studio. It took a number of tries to get the colors of the sky right. I used thick brushstrokes in some areas which created subtle texture and the painting has a glossy finish. Bid in the auction for Walking at Dusk.

Splash 17 Inspiring Subjects

Boat Harbor at Dusk
Watercolor on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2016

I'm honored to have my watercolor painting "Boat Harbor at Dusk" selected to be included in Splash 17: Inspiring Subjects, published by North Light Books. My painting is on page 133, I copied the caption that appears with my painting below. Prints of this painting are for sale.

"The Buffalo, New York, waterfront is a relaxing place to visit and find inspiration for watercolor paintings. I enjoy walking near the water and often bring my camera to take reference photos of the boats, people, industrial architecture and skyline. The boats provide a variety of shapes, and the surface of the water is constantly changing; in this instance it had a silvery reflective quality. I often combine pen and ink with watercolor because the pen allows me to quickly define the details, and then I can focus on applying the washes of color. I chose hot-pressed watercolor paper because the smooth surface works well with pen and ink."