The next step forward is the mountain with the typical Tuscany hilltop village. I’ve mixed several different shades of cool green using varying amounts of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. More Pthalo Blue in the mix makes the color cooler, see the three dabs on the far right. More Cadmium Orange makes it warmer as seen in the center three dabs of paint. The adobe colors are for the buildings in the village. These were also mixed with a touch of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. A little MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) was added in the darkest mixture. It is amazing how mixing the same three colors in different proportions results in such a wide range of hue. The small dabs of color on the far left are from the sky, left over from yesterday.
I’ve begun blocking in the mountain the village is located on. The distant, bluer mountain is already beginning to recede. Notice also the top edge of the far mountain is made softer. Here is another helpful rule in painting: Soft Edges Fall Back, Sharp Edges Jump Forward. This is a technique you can use to give distance to your painting. By softening the edge of the distant mountain it draws less attention. The harder edge of the mountain I’m painting comes forward.
Using the corner of a “bright” brush I plant an olive grove on the hillside.
The same brush is used to block in the village. The darker values are painted first, then I come back and add the highlights where the sunlight catches the ancient rock buildings.
The last step to complete the village is adding the terra cotta roofs and the tower on the church. Driving through the Tuscan countryside there always seems to be one of these quaint villages in the distance. To me they exemplify the essence of Tuscany. See you tomorrow. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
