Forest Fire Photo

Artist's Gallery

Original Scene

Did you think this is my painting? No—I’m not that good—it’s my reference photograph. It makes it clear really how little detail the watercolor has; that’s why artists often use pen and ink on top of watercolor. You can see how I made the green and blue in the painting less intense and buffered the orange. I think the vibrant colors make a more peaceful and interesting scene than the photo. I guess that’s what they call the artist’s liberty!