The sky is my starting point because it is the source of light and influences the rest of the painting. The colors are mixed and I’m ready to begin. The purple shadows of the clouds are various combinations of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + White. The light portions are Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange + White with the addition of the tiniest touch of the shadow color. The blues from left to right are Pthalo Blue + White, Ultramarine Blue + White and a darker shade of the same mix.
The entire blue field of the sky is painted first. If you go outside on a cloudless day to observe the sky you will notice it is lighter and greener toward the horizon. As you look directly overhead the dome of the sky becomes a darker, deeper blue. So the Pthalo Blue mix is used in the lower portion of the sky. Working upward I use the lightest Ultramarine mixture while the darkest is saved for the top of the canvas to replicate the dome of the sky arching overhead.
Pulling out a 2 inch Bob Ross background brush I add the clouds, wet into wet, over the blue. I want the edges to be very soft so the clouds will appear light and fluffy. To see any of these pictures larger just click on the image.
The most distant range of mountains is made more blue and the top edge is softened into the sky. Following a very basic rule, Cool Colors Recede, Warm Colors Come Forward, the mountains in the middle are made warmer with the addition of purples into the blues. The closest range is painted with soft greens, purples and taupes, making them advance in front of the other mountains. The villages on the other side of the bay are indicated with the corner of a Bright brush dipped some of the Ultramarine Blue sky color.
Castello Brown is located high above the Portofino Harbor. The castle was originally built to guard the harbor, then was purchased in 1867 by Montague Yeats Brown and converted into a private villa. It has been a museum since 1961. If you ever go to Portofino it is well worth making the climb up to the castle. The view is INCREDIBLE! Thanks for visiting today. Please come back again soon to see how we are progressing. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik
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