New Painting Demonstration of Zion's Great Arch

In order to get to our cabin on the east side of Zion National Park we must travel from one end of the park to the other, which I thoroughly enjoy. Of course I stop many times to enjoy the view, sketch, and take photos. This is one of my favorite scenes as you start up the switchbacks to the mile-long tunnel in Bridge Mountain. It is commonly known as the "Great Arch of Zion." I took careful care with the lighting on this painting to emphasize the drama.

I started this painting by doing an outline sketch with a 4H pencil on 140lb Arches paper. Then I blocked in the large value areas letting the pigment mingle and flow naturally using wet in wet techniques. I followed this up by tightening edges and using overglazes to deepen the values. Darkest darks and Smallest details are done last.

The two detail images below show my painting process.