Winter golf
Posted: March 5, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 10 CommentsThis morning I had only 60 minutes in my car to paint on my way to work. That means no fiddly details, just a series of quick washes hopefully using the right values. Squinting my eyes really helps me to separate shapes into lights, darks and middle values. Of course the fresh snow and the sky were the lightest values but the rest blended into varying shades of gray. What does squinting do? It helps group close values together so I can decide what those middle values will be — in this case the foliage in back of the rocky outcropping and the lighter areas of rock. And the darkest values? The evergreens on the right and left as well as the darker areas of rock and the tree at the top. I might have done things differently if I had done a value sketch in pencil but with no time to spare I did the value sketch in my head and painted fast.
Painted on Fabriano Artistico Extra White, Cold pressed, 140 lb, 9″ x 12″.
I am pleased that you told us about your process. It helps those of us less experienced. What did you use for the fir trees and the trees above the embankment? Do you have your palette set up with pans or tube colours?
Hi Verla,
My palette is half pans filled with tube colours. For this painting I used a limited palette of ultramarine, raw sienna and burnt sienna. There is a bit of sap green mixed with ultramarine for the evergreens. More blue than green for the trees on the right.
oh that is so beautiful
Thanks Sandra!
This limited palette works so well again with this subject… great for these winter moods. That warm glow in the sky on the left is a nice touch. Are you going to find different colour triads for Barcelona… or just pray for snow?
And, what is the significance of “winter golf”? Is this a golf course? If it is, what are you doing driving and parking on a golf course?
After this winter I won’t be praying for snow and I think I will change my palette to the summer triads.
I painted this at a golf course that I can never get into in the summer because you need to be a member. I am always eyeing these beautiful rocks but I just discovered that you can park (in the parking lot!) in winter.
Tough winter there? It has been a summer of extreme weather here.
OK, so that explains “winter golf”… doesn’t look much like a golf course. I had thought it may be an intended pun… hey, I am “driving” on a golf course! Or perhaps you were driving a Golf.
Hi Shari — I hope that on one of these days, in many years from now, I will be able to paint something like this. I love it! And using the triad colour scheme certainly works as it unified the painting and gives it atmosphere — even drama. Wonderful Shari!
A masterwork. The values are so well chosen. An advantage of snow: at least you can have balanced whites, on top and bottom of the image. But still, even to find these balances in scene like this. Super.
Thanks so much René. We are lucky to have snow. It really helps the composition sometimes.