First Creek-scape finished- "Reflections"

I work and think as I work and I'm thinking. Ha-ha! I'm new to landscapes-this is my first creek study- the only other water I've done was ocean. Its hard for me to break down the process. I just keep dabbling away until my eyes say "Ahh that's it." I guess you could say I approached this piece in a similar fashion to a watercolor. I thought first about what areas should remain white, got the basic lines down, then added a wash by swishing a q-tip loaded with mineral spirits through the pencil. Once the solid patches of mid tone were created, I went back over the areas with more saturated color. If it got too busy, I swished through with the q-tip again. the trick was leaving open areas of white. I followed the photo ref. and voila, the reflections began to work.