Initial thoughts
Maybe we all know the story that a little grey ugly duckling grows into a beautiful white swan. To me, this story fits in the Chinese old saying “Dragon gives birth to dragon and phoenix gives birth to phoenix.” Despite the genetic issue, I believe the spirit behind it is to encourage young kids to dream their future boldly and fearlessly.
Therefore when I see this reference photo I immediately think about story of the ugly ducking. If the reflection represents future then the bird stands on top of the ice/water surface should represent current status, in other words, the baby swan. I change the lighting condition to sunset time in order to give more pinkish color to the reflection. Sunset is magical. At this moment, the color combination seems so romantic yet the feeling could be gloomy.
Digital sketch
This is the most straightforward digital sketch so far. No accident.
Summary
OK. It actually looks cool when you turn the painting upside down.
May we all have faith in future. ❤