Behind the Block Print: Tahoe Dusk

Welcome to Behind the Block Print, a blog series where I share the stories behind my art. This one is a look at my new Lake Tahoe sunset block print and the years of study it took to believe a sunset could be printed at all. Check out others in this series: The Inspiration by Arborglyphs, Sundazed — Lake Tahoe, and The Inspiration Behind Amargosa Valley 

A few years ago, I began exploring sunrises and sunsets because I had always believed they were meant to be seen, not painted. I wanted to understand why I felt that way — and whether it was actually true.

When traveling to make color sketches in nature, I began each day and ended each evening by trying to capture those brief moments of extreme color whenever I could. Like many people, I had photographed beautiful sunsets only to look at the photograph later and wonder why it seemed so different from what I had experienced in person.

What the Camera Misses

To understand that difference, I began exploring how human vision compares with the limitations of a camera.

A camera has difficulty capturing the full range of tones we perceive between deep shadow and brilliant light. With a sunset, exposing for the intense colors in the sky can cause the darker areas to become completely black, eliminating detail that our eyes can still perceive.

Our eyes work differently. Rods are primarily sensitive to light and dark, while cones allow us to perceive color. Working together, they give us the ability to perceive a remarkable range of color and tonal information simultaneously.

Over several years of study and experimentation, I came to understand that a sunset can indeed be interpreted with paint, or with a medium such as linoleum block printing. The darker areas need to remain slightly open so that detail survives, while the colors need to be harmonized by a common underlying tone.

The Interaction of Opposites

There's another phenomenon that makes Tahoe Dusk particularly effective. When opposing colors such as blue and orange meet along an edge, they can appear to intensify one another. This is known as simultaneous contrast, a principle explored extensively by the French Impressionists. The same relationship is connected to complementary afterimages, the familiar effect of seeing the opposite color after staring at a strong color for a period of time.

Once I learned to use this principle intentionally, I felt that my work changed for the better. Today, I find it difficult to make art without considering the interaction of opposites.

From Study to Print

Tahoe Dusk grew out of that exploration. A blue, snowcapped mountain sits beneath a yellow-orange sky, which is reflected across the lake. Pines in the foreground are silhouetted against the light, with small areas of detail intentionally left open within the dark forms.

What This Print Taught Me

I started out trying to prove that a sunset shouldn't be painted. I ended up learning how to paint one, and how to carve one. The answer wasn't in copying the sky more faithfully than a camera could. It was in understanding how we actually see: keeping the darks alive, tying the colors together, and letting blue and orange do what they naturally do to each other along an edge. That lesson now shows up in nearly everything I make.

About Tahoe Dusk

Tahoe Dusk is a limited edition Lake Tahoe block print by Craig Mitchell, a Nevada and Lake Tahoe landscape artist based in Reno. The print is made from seven hand-carved linoleum blocks, each designed, carved, inked, and printed by hand in Craig's Reno studio. It's printed on 100% cotton Rives BFK paper, made in France by the Arches paper mill.

• Edition: 100
• Image size: 12" × 12", with a generous margin
• Framed size: 20 1/8" W × 20 3/4" H
• Framing: Conservation framed under glass in hand-rubbed ebony walnut molding
• Shipping: Ready to ship within 24 hours

Interested in more Lake Tahoe art? See all Lake Tahoe art prints by Craig Mitchell.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do sunset photos look different from what you saw?
A camera can't record the full range of tones between bright sky and deep shadow at once. Exposing for the sunset's colors turns darker areas black. Human eyes use rods and cones together, so they still see detail and color in both.

What is simultaneous contrast in art?
Simultaneous contrast is the effect where complementary colors, such as blue and orange, look more intense when placed side by side. The French Impressionists explored it extensively, and Craig Mitchell uses it deliberately in Tahoe Dusk.

How is a multi-block linoleum print made?
Each color is carved into its own linoleum block, then inked and printed in sequence onto the same sheet. Tahoe Dusk by Nevada and Lake Tahoe landscape artist Craig Mitchell uses seven blocks, all carved and printed by hand.