Vermont Barn - Step 4

Vermont Barn - Step 4
Oil  20" x 20"

Day 23 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge

I've started laying in some of the darker colors in the trees.  Even thought the trees are turning shades of light green and golds, darker colors and shades are in the back of the trees and create depth.  I've got the bushes in the front of the barn in.  I think they should be a bit darker because they're in the shadow.  In the photo and in my original sketches there are some small shrubs headed into the piece on the lower left.  They then curve down the slope.  I've decided that those need to be changed and/or removed as they take your eye down away from the barn and off the painting.  The focal point of the painting is the barn, and the curving shrubs not only draw the viewers eye away from that, but are somewhat distracting.  With just a soft, grassy slope in front of the barn there is a calm feeling looking up the slope.  I think it also makes a better composition with most of the main subject in the top of the piece.

Even though I planned and drew a value sketch to start out, there are constantly decisions that need to be thought about through out the painting of the piece.  That's all part of the fun and challenge of a painting.