Resolving the image on iPad

Since I bought my iPad nine months ago I have never been able to resolve the images to my satisfaction; sufficiently enough that is, until now. The painting above is one of those exceptions to the norm. Although I have managed to produce landscapes with some atmosphere in them they have usually been of a more cursory nature, such as the following two show.

It isn't that I prefer a more resolved image, but merely that I like to see how far I can push the medium without overworking it. In which respect, the next one shows how far I am prepared to enforce this rule. It is more than enough to suggest certain details rather than to paint in so many you begin to lose a feel for the overall composition.

To paint too much detail into a landscape without understanding why is like gilding the lily. I mean, even a simple sketch such as the one below has all of the necessary detail in it for the purpose it was intended for.

Having said all that, if there is one thing I love about my iPad it is that it provides me with the opportunity to discover other possibilities in the development of a particular image. The following two landscapes for instance, show how easy it is to paint over the same image with details that didn't exist in the previous one... Or two, or three, depending on how many alterations you want to make to the original. Note for example the significant change in atmosphere between the two, even though it is only the foreground that has altered.

In fact all it took to achieve this was to duplicate the original then add an extra layer, and using ArtRage you can alter the opacity of the colours above to prevent the layer beneath from grinning through. Then again, sometimes a translucent colour can add greater depth to the layer beneath, depending upon what you want to achieve. Here are two more examples of what I mean.

To be honest with you, none of the places I have painted on my iPad actually exist, except in my memory of those I have visited in and around Great Britain. Most are views I have seen when out walking in the Lake District, and North Wales, or viewed from my car, which is why I try to avoid putting in close ups of buildings and trees. The reason for this is very simple. The moment they begin to dominate the composition there is a natural tendency to question whether the details are correct, but more importantly; from an artistic point of view that is, their significance within the composition. As for adding human figures, or even a few sheep, or cows, I have no problem with this, but haven't thought of a good enough reason yet as to why I should. Here are a few more of my best landscapes so far since the end of last year.