It's time to flip the paper over and see what I've got.
Not too bad. Looks a little subdued. First of all we are looking at the back side of the paper. Whatever shows up now actually is what comes through from the other side. Secondly the alum solution acts as a resist and helps to shield the tone somewhat. Also because the alum fixes the ink
rather quickly, the ink does not have a chance to migrate, creating the different tones naturally. That's why the painting looks a little flat and languid.
My first order is too ever so slightly give the sky a wash of light ink. The darker sky helps to define the contour of the mountain and brings out the snow pack.
Next on the to do list is to work on the shading of the mountain a bit. The mountain is meant to be a backdrop so I don't want to exaggerate it to much. I just darken a few places to bring out the features of the mountain and let its majestic stature speak of itself.
It is a presence after all.
I proceed to use dark ink to bring out the foothill woodland. This is going to be my darkest value and it should work as a good contrast against the mountain and the sky.
I plant my trees along the ridges of the foothill to bring out the elevation and to add perspective.
This is when the previously painted areas with alum solution reveals its magic.
Notice the mottled look in the dark areas. Do you not sense the suggestion of branches and tree trunks and snow? So these are the areas I must protect by not overworking it. I don't want to lose this quality. I have come to realize the reason I did not have too much success in the past. I was too much in a hurry and tried to lay on the darker tone before the alum had a chance to dry. The fact that I am forced to stop messing with the painting for a couple of weeks allows the solution to cure and makes a mellifluous partnership of ink, paper and alum. Eureka.
Taking care to preserve the occasional white patches through the trees, the painting is gradually taking on a personality.
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