The Massive Wave

The Massive Wave - Part 3

Jul 6, 2022

The Conclusion

This post will provide the readers a rare glimpse into the artists mind as a painting evolves from its concept to its conclusion.

This project is a commission and is going to be the largest paintings that I have painted.

The first two posts on this subject dealt with designing and composing the project as well as dealing with the challenges posed by the large size of the painting on the three separate panels.

Fig 1

1) The trees and bushes have been painted.

2) The cliff and the adjacent large rock have been detailed.

3) The clouds, particularly the linings have been refined with appropriate colours and the cloud shadows have been enhanced.

4) The sun added peeking underneath the clouds.

5) The wave face has been made translucent, suggesting light passing through the thin crest of the rising wave.

6) The ripples added in the water in front of the wave.

7) The blue water in the background now shows smaller waves and rippling water further in the distance.

Fig 2

1) Much work has been done on the wave such that the white foam of the breaking wave and the roll of the wave including the tunnel of the wave are now obvious. Shadow of the foam has been added. The water at the rim of the wave also shows disturbance of the water suggesting an imminent roll.

2) The reflection of the white froth is now evident in the water ahead of the wave crest.

Fig 3

Foam lines on the wave face suggest the roll of the wave and the foam at the leading edge of the water has developed a realistic volume due to the shadows.

Fig 4

The blanket foam ahead of the wave is now complete.

All the details on the wave have been captured including the spray off the crest of the breaking wave.

Rim lighting at the edge of the clouds indicate sun trying to peek through.

The sun however appears rather stark, subsequently it was made less obvious so as not to take the focus away from the breaking wave.

Fig 5

One can now fully appreciate the size of the painting. Here the stark sun shape is being veiled.

Fig 6

The completed painting hanging on the wall, just above the headrest of the client's bed.

Fig 7

Bet nobody noticed the bald eagle on the tree branch. It provides a sense of scale to the trees, the wave and the painting as a whole.

The Secret Message.

Since this was a gift for a special occasion, somewhere in the painting, there is a hidden message.The message is the same that is inscribed in the clients wedding ring. I bet, no one except the owner of the painting knows where and what it is. It is the couple's secret, not for me to disclose.

Thank you for following.

Hope you enjoyed this journey. If there are any questions, comments or alternate views, please email them to me. In the next newsletter I will be discussing some questions raised by the subscribers regarding this painting. If you subscribe to my blog/newsletter, you will receive future posts in your email inbox.

Mohamed Hirji