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Watercolor Painting, My Way!: A Mountainscape: L1/2

Author: Rod Webb, Associate Editor

A simple Mountainscape.
We only need a few guidelines in order to mark the mountain range and the foreground hills.

Three lines are drawn, make your own choice of mountain peaks.

Next, mix up three washes:
1. Raw sienna.
2. Ultramarine with a touch of light red.
3. Alizarin crimson with a touch of Ultramarine

Turn your board upside down with it tilted about 15 degrees being high at the back.
Wet the sky area with only clear water.

While damp, apply the wash of raw sienna along the mountain top line, allowing it to run down as you apply. As the board is upside down, it will run away from the mountain line towards the top of the sky.

You will need to work fairly quickly as you need to finish the sky area before it dries.

Turn your board around so it is positioned the correct way with the back still raised about 15 degrees.
Apply the ultramarine wash along the top and allow it to merge with the sienna wash.

Now while still wet, apply the alizarin to the top left corner only, allowing it to merge with the previous washes. If necessary tilt the board more or less as needed to get the merging you wish.

Now lay the board flat and allow to dry completely.

Mix up some burnt umber and raw sienna. Keep your ultramarine mix handy as well.
Starting at the right side paint in the mountains starting with your burnt umber, as you work, alternate between the two colours and eventually, as you get to the lower mountain (left area), use only ultramarine.

We need to make the left side look as though it is in mist. Using a crumpled up piece of tissue, kitchen towel, or toilet paper, dab the wet paint to lift some leaving it patchy and lighter.
Now allow it to dry.

We also need to lift out some lines of paint. Using a damp chisel brush, run the brush across with light horizontal strokes and then dab the wetted lines. This will lift thin bands of paint.

As the paper had dried before we started, it was more controllable.

Add some ultramarine to your burnt umber mix to darken.
Paint in the shadow areas along the mountain tops. Make the shapes varied.

Use a strong mix on the top sun lit peaks. As you work along to the misty area weaken the mix as you go.

Shadows will not be as strong here.

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	A simple Mountainscape. We only need a few guidelines in order to mark the mountain range and the foreground hills. Three lines are drawn, make your own choice of mountain peaks. Next, mix up three washes: 1. Raw sienna. 2. Ultramarine with a touch of light red. 3. Alizarin crimson with a touch of Ultramarine
	Turn your board upside down with it tilted about 15 degrees being high at the back. Wet the sky area with only clear water. While damp, apply the wash of raw sienna along the mountain top line, allowing it to run down as you apply. As the board is upside down, it will run away from the mountain line towards the top of the sky. You will need to work fairly quickly as you need to finish the sky area before it dries.
	Turn your board around so it is positioned the correct way with the back still raised about 15 degrees. Apply the ultramarine wash along the top and allow it to merge with the sienna wash. Now while still wet, apply the alizarin to the top left corner only, allowing it to merge with the previous washes. If necessary tilt the board more or less as needed to get the merging you wish. Now lay the board flat and allow to dry completely.
	Mix up some burnt umber and raw sienna. Keep your ultramarine mix handy as well. Starting at the right side paint in the mountains starting with your burnt umber, as you work, alternate between the two colours and eventually, as you get to the lower mountain (left area), use only ultramarine.
	We need to make the left side look as though it is in mist. Using a crumpled up piece of tissue, kitchen towel, or toilet paper, dab the wet paint to lift some leaving it patchy and lighter. Now allow it to dry. We also need to lift out some lines of paint. Using a damp chisel brush, run the brush across with light horizontal strokes and then dab the wetted lines. This will lift thin bands of paint. As the paper had dried before we started, it was more controllable.
	Add some ultramarine to your burnt umber mix to darken. Paint in the shadow areas along the mountain tops. Make the shapes varied. Use a strong mix on the top sun lit peaks. As you work along to the misty area weaken the mix as you go. Shadows will not be as strong here.