I needed to paint more atmospherics

It seems atmospherics have been quite a hit at the Fredericksburg Art Guild for me. In the past, I’ve used the technique I learned from Danielle Lanslots to make almost exclusively 5″ x 7″ paintings. Getting just the right “feel” on a larger scale seemed to elude me.

This technique uses a wet-on-wet technique to add layers of color on wet paper. I use my favorite brand, Arches, and in this case, it’s a Cold Pressed 140 lb paper. Instead of my standard 5 x 7, this painting is done on a 9″ x 12″ sheet.

Most of my pigments are by Daniel Smith and the two primary colors for “Sienna Cabin” are Quinacridone Sienna and Moonglow. Like my hero Bob Ross, I paint mostly from the memory of places I’ve visited in my short sojourn on mother Earth. This could easily be a cabin at Philmont Scout Ranch in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico; Brian Head, Utah; or McCall, Idaho.

I really enjoy how the Sienna and Moonglow work together to create browns and the Sienna seems to add light to any painting.

These paintings are truly a joy to paint and will usually take me a couple or more days to add the first layer or two, then wait until the watercolor does its “thing”. It’s at that point that I begin to make out what the painting is telling me to bring out. That’s right, rather than fight the Mind of Watercolor, I’ve learned to go with its flow…pun intended.

I’ve done many of these with just the landscape, mountains, trees, perhaps a bird here and there, but this is my first go at a man-made structure.

I hope you enjoy “Sienna Cabin”. Please comment below and share on your favorite social media site.

Now—Go Make Some Art