Saturday, March 07, 2009

This is a rendering of a beautiful vista as we were leaving the Sequoia National Forest in California. We started our day in fog and clouds and we were worried we wouldn't see much, but the clouds quickly burned off leaving just a few cap clouds left.

Just around the corner, the terrain quickly changes from beautiful tall sequoia pines to the stark barren Mohave desert.



Cap clouds form directly over the mountaintop and occurs when humid air is forced to flow over the mountain, condensing into a cloud. The title adds just a little push to where the viewer's focus will ultimately rest.

This is a small drawing just 6.5" x 9" on mellotex paper. I started by toning in the sky, blending it smooth with a chamois and then worked from the background to the foreground. I used a 2B .5mm mechanical pencil for most of the drawing. Some of the broader mid-tone areas were done using a chisel point clutch pencil (2H).
Enjoy!

Diane