At Field's Edge... 12"x 24" oil

Starting a new one...another whitetail narrative.  
The initial blocking in of masses, values and color for me is like the purest art of the art.  Here the abstract undergirding of what aims to be a working compostion and of sound design plays itself out.  If done well...if expediency nails the essential...the painting is quickly and nearly already accomplished.  The rest is tweaking, finishing...a marvelous efficiency.

On another venue, Facebook...I have comments to that effect that for some the painting is fine as is...

(clicking on image brings up larger view)...

My intent...is to throw a mature buck within the tree line to the left, that will be incidental, that is...likely to be overlooked and missed by most folks finding the landscape painting itself pleasing enough.  This is how encountering a mature buck tends to go.  The one more likely to be intentionally seeking the presence of something special in wildlife is likely to note something different than the trees and vegetation.  It might be in way of slight movement, but it will likely be more in its distinguishing silhouette.  

Now some might say....from the rule of thirds in design, it might make better sense asymmetrically that the buck be standing on the lower right already in the field.  Well, the beauty of a paint knife is you can first try one thing, scrape out if not happy and reposition!

Rules work...and its been said rules are meant to be broken, which I argue is often said to tout and appeal to our creative license and rebellious nature as artists...but will agree that rules can be broken if one understands which rule, and why it is best to break the rule.

If I want to give the viewer a sense of tension...if tension is part of the narrative, then disturbing the visual balance may be one way (psychologically) to deliver that feeling.  Adding a buck to the left mass may add greater weight...true, but it stirs up the tension of the moment as well and may be worth the visual risk taking.

Mature bucks work alone...travel alone, calculate every movement, and is a reason they get as old and as large as they do.  Stupid...does not lead to maturity.  A buck considering running across an open field must have good reason to do so.  Perhaps it is an encroaching threat from behind.  Chances are this would be the narrowest area of the field, a bottlenecked area, and just beyond (to the right) might be a creek bottom with thick tag alder brush.  The threat behind pushing him to make a decision he is not altogether thrilled about.

I will use my manner of peripheral vision to determine what gets what level of degree of finishing and detail to pull off what I want.

Lastly...a reminder that beginning this Tuesday, the repeat of the first series "Foundations- For Reasons Paintings Work" webinar, Go To Meeting starts.  Time is 6pm EST...and you will see a few posts below the outline of the first session.  We will do this series twice per week, for 2-1/2 weeks...thus, the 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th and 20th...
here is the registration link...to sign up, and it is free...
Registration Free- Webinar Series