APPROACHING NOON - PART 2

Continuing to work on different areas of the painting, I first darkened the shadows inside then added a wash of burnt umber to the large pot. Further deep Windsor red washes were added to the frame and the post helping to define that area somewhat. I also darkened the walls in shadow then took a deep breath before working on the lettering. I worked really slowly on each Chinese character making sure that they exactly matched my references as not only would each character have to read correctly but I also wanted to capture the artist's style. After a few hours, the base coat was done then I went over all the lettering once again deepening the tone slightly. Happy with the work so far, my plan was to finish the roof next then I would be better able to decide how much darker the shadows had to go. Apart from the architecture and individual character of the place, what made the scene so interesting to me from the start was the areas of sunlight and shadow, especially surrounding the pot used to burn offerings to the Gods. The rest of the painting would have to be slightly understated to allow one to focus there so there would be plenty of deepening watercolor washes to come.