After painting the hilltop that is Shuttlingsloe, I moved on to a more imposing and dramatic landscape. The wind weathered sharp fingers of Ramshaw Rocks are one of Leek’s most recognisable local beauty spots.

I wanted to portray the eerie, sometimes menacing nature of the rocks in this piece. The rocks are often shrouded in low cloud during the autum, winter and early spring. It gives them an almost mystical quality.

Here’s a few progress shots and a reference image so that you can see where I am coming from.

Here’s a couple of quotes to set the scene …..

Ramshaw Rocks

Acrylic

40 x 50″

First composition choice … I decided against this, so changed it to …

Composition number 2 … more emphasis on the iconic ‘Loaf and Cheese’ with some moody crags in the background

I worked on the background first

Then concentrated on the foreground detail

And decided to pretty much leave this one here …

Photo reference …