Reflection on the Surface

Reflection on the Surface.

Reflection on the Surface was inspired by a visit to a local pond. A Mute Swan in a defensive stance is a stunning sight — it glided across the man-made, shallow Mill Pond on Long Island, a mile from the Stony Brook Wetlands. The pond’s dark water, contrasted beautifully with the white bird, became the inspiration for this digital work, painted from a reference photograph taken at the pond.

DETAILS

MEDIUM: Digital Painting | STYLE: Painterly Realism | SIZES: 8×10 — 11×14 — 16×20 — Custom sizes may be available. Click CONTACT to inquire. | ORIENTATION: Landscape | TOOLS: Procreate, 13″ iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, Giclée Fine Art Archival paper and ink | AVAILABILITY: Prints available | CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ARTIST’S PROCESS: 

Reflection on the Surface was painted in Procreate on a 13” iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil Pro, this work replicates traditional painting’s depth and texture through layered digital brushwork. It begins with careful structural drawing, followed by multiple rounds of color blocking, value refinement, and detail work on feather texture and the unusual water surface. Specific species characteristics capture its appearance and temperament. Shadow and light are created using multiple Procreate layers and specific brushes.

CHALLENGE:

The pond that this swan is gliding over is a shallow body of water. The surface reflects dark from below and light from above creating a uniform opaque appearance giving little color change to suggest the depth of the water. In order to set this detail-heavy bird against a more active surface, the composition was mixed between the detailed style of the bird and an impressionistic presentation of the water, using horizontal watercolor washes of multiple navy, grey hues with white highlights to add depth and movement. The addition of the swan’s reflection in the foreground of the canvas adds to the impression of depth in the shallow water of the pond.

SUBJECTS AND THEMES:

Reflection on the Surface — Abstract Painting — Wildlife — Nature — Mill Pond — Mute Swan — Birding — Outdoor Scene — Impressionism — CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION