Canadian Pacific Railway CP 8856 Powering through Early Snow - background color scheme

This is the first stage of the painting. I made the background color scheme by blocking-in the main colors with soft pastels on heavy, course-grained watercolor paper - and then going over the different areas with clean water on a paint brush in order to make a watercolor wash effect.

I am basing this painting on a really nice photo by Jim Winsor.

http://www.facebook.com/jim.winsor.75

Photo used as reference material with Jim's very kind permission.

The original photograph on which this painting will be based, can be down-loaded at:

http://www.photoartf...ailway-cp-8856/

The photo was taken in October 2011 and Jim writes:

"This was so far the most significant snowfall we have had yet this year. I braved the elements today to capture this rare for me image of such a beauty. I arrived at this location and it was dull and overcast which soon gave way to a lite blowing snowfall. This beauty could be heard off in the distance and low and behold out of the blowing snow she came."