Hill Country Overlook #1

First of all, Jack has a new article on Fine Art Studio Online. CLICK HERE to read Masterpiece.

Fredericksburg Art Gallery has sold a couple of pieces so I need to get to work replacing them. The main elements are drawn up on the canvas with an oil wash made of Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson + a liberal amount of Liquin. To see any of the pictures larger just click on the image.

You can see I had to make some drawing adjustments. The arched opening and gate were a little too tall, so they had to be lowered. Now for the vignette view through the gate. The courtyard dwelling overlooks a clear stream in the Texas Hill Country. The distant scene is painted with cool, muted colors so it will fall back. A field of Bluebonnets, our Texas State Flower, is added beside the limestone rocks lining the stream.

This is one of our favorite stages of my “through the door” paintings. Jack and I just think they look so cool when the background is painted and the rest of the piece is just sketched in.

The building is blocked in with mixes of different proportions of Cadmium Orange + Ultramarine Blue + White. MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) is added to darken the shadow areas. Dioxazine Purple is used for the Wisteria. This is one of those special colors I use occasionally, it makes a lovely purple that I’m unable to mix with our Double Primary Palette.

The bright intensity of the Pthalo Blue + White used for  the door and gate make the background begin to “Fall Back.” This is one of those simple but very important rules in painting: Intense Colors Come Forward, Muted Colors Fall Back. Thank you for visiting the studio today. Hope you will come back tomorrow and follow the progress of Hill Country Overlook. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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