Day 45 - Skyscape

I painted this in about 20 min. I tried to give myself a time limit so I wouldn't fuss with it.

Out My Window Version 1

                                           Out My Window Version 2

I decided to darken sky to make the white in the clouds pop. Not sure it was a success. The sky is now very spotty.  I do love the watery trees and the river water.

First I washed the whole page with water.  Sky was done with cobalt at the top and cerulean at the bottom.  The clouds have cerulean and yellow ocher and cobalt with cad violet.  Trees New Gamboge and OOPS some green on my palette...no idea which green.  I added indigo and ultramarine blue to it for the darks.  The water was made by the trees running into the wash.

Day 28 - More skies!!

Sometimes I really don't like the way the skies look when I am done with them like this one!!! 

 This sky had a lot of puffy white clouds in it against a bright blue sky.  I washed the paper with water.  Then using Cobalt blue I washed around the cloud areas.  I added cerulean and yellow ocher for the greys.  And some purple.

So how to fix it?? 

I used a white inktense bar of color similar to a pastel to brighten the sky up a bit.  As long as you don't wet it it stays transparent.  I like it alot better now!!

I did the same thing with this sky. And I really like the way this one turned out!!! 

Day 27 - Painting Skies!

Much more fun when they are blue and loaded with clouds!! 

Grey Skies

Yesterday and today the sky has been grey and raining.  I do get tired of painting rainy skies...but I like the soft delicate colors in this sky. I only had twenty minutes to paint this whole double spread...good to have a time limit so I don't mess with the painting too much.  

I started by washing the sky with water. I painted the sky with cobalt or ultramarine at the top and fade out to cerulean near the horizon. 

Then I added cerulean and yellow ochre all over.  I went back in with a darker mix of cerulean and yellow ocher.  Finally I added a bit of Quinacridone Rose to it ...last I painted the trees...its nice if the paper is still wet to give the trees a soft look on top.

Hmm love the trees but I would crop off some of the dark clouds.  TOO heavy and oppressive.  I have been noting the temp and date on these just well because I can!! The dark greys are painted with ultramarine blue and vermilion or burnt sienna...sometimes I add a touch of purple ....I think these got TOO dark!!

Blue skies...I LOVE the trees in this one...the sky is ok.  It was done by wetting the whole paper down too.  I should have waited till the paper dried but I couldn't wait...a problem I have...impatience to get on with it!

Day TeN: Skyscapes

I have been on Instagram a lot lately and follow a British artist that paints skyscapes plein aire...all of a sudden it occurred to me that I should be painting them from plein aire and never have to leave home...after all I live in the land of huge skies. I dont even have to go outdoors to paint them...all I have to do is look out the triple sliding glass doors and there are huge skies out all of them.  An invitation to paint skies from life and not photos if ever there was one!

 This is what I painted out my back door.

I think the clouds got a little dark...and I could have painted more blue into the water but #1 is done, right??? But I do think I will add more blue to the river.

Watercolor in my moleskine.

This is the actual view out the back windows. I did edit a LITTLE!! No rails, no birdfeeders and NO pots!!

And here's where I sat by the windows and painted...nice and cool...no sweat involved.  Did I say I hate to sweat???