I always admired artists who are able to cut out all the detail and get to the essence of the subject. I’ve taken lots of different classes this last year and finally, thanks to Rachael’s demos, I finally see it.

When I saw the photo of the green pond and surroundings supplied for the class, initially it seemed way too complex. By following along with Rachael, I realised how important it is to break a scene down into three tones and take it from there.

It also hadn’t occurred to me before this class to cover my board with a mid-tone of paint and now I understand why.

So here is my finished piece for the class:

After I finished, I couldn’t wait to get started on one of my vacation photos.