Mountains

Today, I was painting with the Buckhorn Artists' Group and one of our members Debra Wasson was giving a demonstration of painting forsythias.

I tried sketching out a drawing of them to paint, but I just couldn't get into it, so I went through some of the partially completed paintings I had also brought along with me and decided that I would work on this one that I had started many years ago (see post on 22 January 2011).

I wanted to soften the clouds because they were too hard edged to be believable.

Using a bristle brush and water I gently softened the edges of the clouds starting with the furthest back ones above the mountains and gradually worked down the layers of cloud to the top of the mountains.











After looking at it I decided I also needed to do the same to the cloud bank below the mountain peak.

I set this piece aside to dry while the Group stopped to have lunch and discuss having our 30th Annual Shades of Summer Art Show and Sale in August now that things were opening up and my regular shows were once again happening.

When I returned to this painting, the paper was dry so I made of dark of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna with a small amount of alizarin crimson.

I darkened the top edges of the mountains and added a few shadow details.

This painting, once it is framed will be available for $165.00.

Three Mountains - Nevada - Three Works in Progress

It is another day where they are calling for thunderstorms with the high heat 92F (33.3C) and the humidity made it feel like 108F (42.2C) and once again we are not getting any rain or stormy weather.

I pulled out these three sketches that I did while we were in Las Vegas a number of years ago (see post on 21 November 2014).














Early Morning Mountains I

I thought I would start by indicating the top line of each of the mountains that would be silhouetted against the sky.












Dark Mountains I

Then I added the some of the lines for the lower mountains below the high points.











Mountains I

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them has been completed.

Three Mountains - Nevada

-4F (-2C) but at least there is no more snow in the forecast and the wind won't start until this afternoon which will make it feel a lot colder.














Dark Mountains I

After finding these sketches that I did when we were in Las Vegas around this time of the year and I think about how it was hot enough that we went swimming in the pool everyday and relaxed in the sun.














Early morning Mountains I

In the morning as the sun was rising I did these sketches as I looked out our hotel window at the mountain ranges in the distance.











Mountains I

I did one sketch each morning that we were there of the three different mountains: Sunrise Mountain, Frenchman Mountain and the River Mountains.

Perhaps one day soon we will return to Las Vegas, Nevada even if it is only for a long weekend.

Mountain Range

I wanted to compete this painting that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 26 May 2010).

Working from the background forward I started by rounding the top of the middle mountain so it didn't look as though someone had put off the top.

Next using various mixtures of cadmium red and cadmium yellow, I brushed in some areas with colour to give a little more depth to the autumn colours, but not enough to make them jump out at you.

Now I wanted to work on the rocks. Beginning with the further back ones on the right shore, I tidied up the top edges that were against the background trees. This was followed by adding some darker colors and lighter colours to give the rocks shape.

On the middle section of the rocky shore, using various mixtures of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and alizarin crimson, I gradually added more definition to the individual rocks, instead of having them as one large mass. This was followed by adding various textures to some of the rocks, while leaving others fairly plain.












On the foreground rock face, I toned down the far left section and added a few cracks onto the rock surface.

Lastly, I wanted to make changes to the the lake, again working from the back forward, I lifted a few highlights from the dark reflections in the water below the reeds at the shoreline.

Below the furthest back ones on the right side I darkened the colour in the water slightly, while still letting some of the paler colour show through; and dry brushed some of the dark green colour right across the water.

I removed the dark section at the bottom of the middles section of the rocks leaving only a thin line at the base  of them.

Using various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna, and French ultramarine blue and using a dry brush I put in ripples through the middle section of the lake from the base of the rock across the other side.

From there I continued working across the lower part of the lake with a dry brush to add more ripples on the lake.

When this original 6-1/2" x 11-1/2” watercolour has been matted and framed it will be available for $245.00.

Mountains - A Work in Progress

For this painting I am using a mixture of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

Using a flat brush and a thick mixture of paint I put in the mountain tops.









I gradually added a little more water to the paint to lighten the colour and brushed in the sky in the upper right hand corner and left the area white for the edge of the clouds against it.

I added a little more water and continued to build up layers of clouds with gradually lighter paint.

I set this painting aside to dry and will complete it at a later date.

Mountain Range - A Work in Progress

This is my first attempt at painting mountains.

I have added a new colour into my palette, permanent rose. When used with cobalt blue and aureolin, I find that these colours seem to be cleaner and add more "light" into the painting.












I will post this painting once I have finished the rocks and added a little more detail into the water.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.