Blog

Day 1

Paper: 140 cold press - not sure the brand, this was a scrap I found in my paper pile

Colors: Cerulean Blue, Quinacridone Red, Raw Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, (Utrecht) Lemon Yellow, New Gamboge (Windsor Newton.

I decided to start the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge with a celebration of color.  I am working from a reference photo and memory.  I lightly sketched the composition in pencil and began with the sky.  This is a fall scene so I laid down a wash of clean water then began with a stroke of ultramarine at the top then began to add cerulean as I went lower.  I meant to leave more clouds but oops, forgot to save the white.  While the sky was wet I went back and laid in the darker area of clouds making them the same value as the sky only gray.  The foreground field was my favorite part.  I worked wet in wet to begin with using raw sienna, cerulean, and red.  When that was dry I washed over certain areas with different temperatures of greens using new gamboge, cerulean, and ultramarine.  My discovery today was laying the opaque lemon yellow on top of the moist green wash created the most beautiful sparkle.  It was hard to hold back and not add it everywhere.

What I learned:

 Really plan your design with the lights.  You can always cover them up but you can't bring them back.

Opaque paint on dropped into a moist wash and left alone is really pretty.

"Orchard Memory" is available for purchase for 50.00.  To purchase click "here"

  Here is a detail of the lemon yellow dropped onto the wash, yummy!