This is such fun. I’m enjoying this happy picture. I’ve started to give more energy and colour to the sky. Originally, I had intended only a thin wash of pale blue without any texture as there seemed to be so much else going on, but correcting the size of the heads had introduced thicker paint there, so I decided to repaint the whole sky, largely blue I agree but showing the occasional fluffy cloud perhaps. I think this makes a better balance.
I think the tree must be a member of the larch family. Its needle-like leaves fall from the branches like lazy hands trailing in the water. I have built up the perspective there by using different colours and tones as I passed over the area, first Ultramarine Blue, then Ultramarine Violet, then Viridian with the addition of Burnt Sienna.
I strengthened the painting without altering the tone of the distant hills, then turned my attention the the garden. Since we are raised above it, only the tops of the trees and bushes show, so a mixture of dark and light green suffice. I’ve gone in with strong darks behind his shoulder and legs, enjoying the contrast with his white shirt. These darks will hide some of the metalwork he is resting against beautifully.
I love the “lazy hands trailing in the water” – a gorgeous image. And it is a happy painting. good to look at.