The truffle hunt

The first part of the story was the hunt for truffles. As we hiked through the forest, the dogs would get a scent and start digging. The farmer would quickly approach and dig with a special tool with a flexible cup on the end to preserve the truffle.  The first two stops had already been found but the third one produced a nice sized white truffle - the most prized.  The farmer allows the dog to sniff the truffle and then gives him a less precious treat.

I simplified the photo and did a sketch, traced it to my journal and played with some neutral colors.

With a slight variation in the thin layers of watercolors, I traced the image on the watercolor paper and painted it - first part of the trilogy in place with some surroundings to be added near the end at the detail stage.

I have several colors thinned in separate covered dishes to produce the many layers