Contrast

                                   Rocks at Grimes Cove

To get the feel of sunlight, you have to paint the shadows.  In this painting of the rocks at Grimes Cove on Ocean Point, I started with an underpainting that described the basic shapes of the rocks while varying the colors from orange to blue, contrasting and complementary colors.  On the second pass, I placed emphasis on the contrasting values.  The shadow sides of the rocks and their cast shadows contrast with the lighter tones on the beach.  The dark reflections in the water also contrast with the light, sunny area of the beach. 

This scene never gets old because I love the challenge of using it to explore different goals.