Flame in the woods - photo progression

A friend of mine had asked me to do some illustrations for a book he's writing. As I read through his draft, this scene came to mind. It's similar to a painting I had seen by Gordon MacKenzie titled "Under the Stars". I should have used masking fluid on this piece to help build contrast on the trees, but I decided to try painting around the negative spaces of the trees. Creating a gradient from light to dark AND avoiding painting the trees is a challenge. I probably built more layers of color on the piece than any other piece, and the 90 lb. paper I used took a beating! I need to start working on heavier weight paper! Enjoy the first draft of "Flame in the Woods".