Mojave Sunrise Study

Oil on canvas panel, 6" by 12", studio study for a larger painting on stretched canvas, probably 18" by 36". I had to stop again to shoot this photo on my way back from the Eastern Sierras to N. CA. Any comments, critiques or suggestions are very much appreciated.

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Comment by Sandi Lear on March 29, 2015 at 11:49: As it's a study I don't expect it to be a finished work...but your sky is done - just beautiful. Darks and vectors in the foreground...manmade? not necessarily...a burnt out tree would do just as well, with more dark at .618 in from the bottom left?

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on March 29, 2015 at 3:50: Thanks Jessica. I am fixing the foreground and will definitely do larger paintings of both of these little studies.

Comment by Jessica Futerman on March 29, 2015 at 3:46: Stunning sky!

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on March 27, 2015 at 8:53: Thanks again Michael! After I read your comment on my other desert sunrise study, I knew this was coming, and of course it is expected when you paint just from photos. I am going to increase the amount of foreground as well and put in some vertical elements, My reference photo was taken about 10 to 15 minutes after the one for the other sunrise after I had gotten out of the Owen's Valley and onto the Mojave desert, so it should certainly be warmer on the land than I have rendered it. Now I know why I like this site so much; it's because of all the help available!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on March 27, 2015 at 8:28: Stu, your sky is wonderful, my friend!!! Before you do anything with the size or shape of the ground plane, try giving it more warmth ..and a little darker in the foreground ....I think you will see quite a change with the warmer ground plane.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on March 27, 2015 at 7:54: Thanks Pauline. Obviously it was the sky and the silhouetted mountains that caught my eye while driving and that take center stage here. Stu

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on March 27, 2015 at 7:53: Jon, thanks and I think you are right that a little more foreground and some verticals could help. I may change the format to 20 by 30 inches with a couple of inches more foreground and not as wide. Yes some fence posts, telephone poles, etc. would help. I may just paint another study and add those before I scale up. Thank you for your input.

Comment by Pauline Le Merle on March 27, 2015 at 7:44: Another really good study Stu with great potential, the sky is Wow!

Comment by Jon Main on March 27, 2015 at 7:25: There's great potential there, Stu, bit even if it's allabout the sky, I feel the land is so small it's unbalancing it? Love the mood - no chance of some verticals such as telegraph poles and wires?