Clouds Over the Iowa River,
16″ x 12″, UART 320

Underpainting

Here is one more painting–done this weekend in anticipation of my Cloud Workshop.  I decided I really needed to get some more practice and this picture just jumped out at me to be painted!  I spent a lovely time on Saturday afternoon with this, ignoring all of the technical details I have to worry about to do a virtual workshop!

I did a very simple underpainting after roughly drawing in cloud shapes.  I used three shades of pinks.  Used three greens for the sky with a yellow green at the bottom.  I’m finding the greens work so beautifully.

For a painting like this the first challenge is the sky itself.  I used Ludwig blues and blue greens.  Then added more light blue over the blue greens.  I’m finding it impossible to find the right blue!  The Ludwigs are all either really cool or violet or really warm green blues. Great American “beacon” used to be just the right color but it got changed. However, in hopes that they might have been changed back, I ordered some from Rochester Fine Art.  We’ll see!

For the clouds, I used a mix of grayed violets, blues and blue greens all in very soft varieties, such as Great American.  This painting was done at home. My Blue Earths have resided in my other studio but today I brought them home too!  For clouds, the softer the better.  It’s probably why I like painting them!

For the light areas, I used a Ludwig pink with a soft yellow in the brightest part.  The light pinks work really nicely and allow more room for sunlight to be added.

I kept the land very simple. There was a bridge going over the river that I got rid of.  I took this picture on a walk on the “high line” north of Des Moines last September.  It afforded beautiful views of the sky.  Iowa has GREAT clouds!!!  (In case you are wondering, my husband’s daughter lives in Des Moines).