[f2]Welcome back[]! It's time for another mini-lesson.
Landscapes aren't just about lush green fields. Today, we'll turn our hand to a more [f2]rugged subject[].
[a4]The grandeur of a [f2]mountain[] is very different to the softness of woodland and rolling pastures.
Mountains are a staple of landscape painting, particularly in nineteenth-century America.
Hundreds of mountainscapes were created by American artists such as Homer.
In his works, Homer aimed to show man's insignificance in the face of nature's grandeur.
It's easy to see why the mountains inspired him. They rarely fail to create a sense of awe.
[a7]Now, we've talked before about identifying the [f2]direction of sunlight[] before you start painting.
With an [f2]angular structure[] like this, it's more important than ever.
Fortunately, it's easy to see where the light falls. This is the [f2]key[] to bringing your mountain to life.
First of all, I blocked in the [f2]sky[]. [p1]Do you remember what we learned about [f2]aerial perspective[]?
I've used the same blue as the sky on the shadowed side of the mountain.
This will help establish a sense of [f2]remoteness[], pushing it away into the distance.
It's worth taking a moment to look closely at the different areas of light and shade.
Keep doing this throughout your painting and it will help you immensely.
In the second stage, I mixed up a [f2]warm brown[] that would contrast nicely with the blue sky.
The aim is to lay this colour down in a way that [f2]describes the shape[] of the rocks.
Try to convey a sense of how [f2]hard and angular[] they are.
I continued building up the painting with a [f2]darker brown[], looking for [f2]darker tones[] in the image.
Next, I changed to a lovely gold colour, painting along the edge where light and shadow meet.
I exaggerated the [f2]yellow[] here to make it look as if [f2]sunlight[] is striking the mountainside.
A bit of [f2]water[] on the brush helps to [f2]blend it[] into the rocks.
I then defined the darkest areas of the mountain further with an even darker brown.
Finally, I added those [f2]clouds[] to the right of the mountain.
You can certainly do more than this if you like.
Try [f2]darkening the foreground[], or using [f2]pure white[] to touch up areas of the mountain.
It's important to realise when you've done enough, though, and not to overwork your painting.
[a8]No sense in making a mountain out of a molehill, eh?
I hope you enjoy this exercise. You've truly reached the summit now!
Best of luck. Now...where did Bacon get to?
Mini-Lesson: Mountain
[b1][i1]Try to [f2]define the rocks[] with angular strokes as you paint.[][b1][i1]Pay attention to [f2]light and shade[].[][b1][i1]Use [f2]aerial perspective[] to add a sense of distance.[][b1][i1]Above all, [f2]have fun[]![]
This is my depiction of an American artist called [f2]Winslow Homer[]...
...based on a photograph of him by Napoleon Sarony, and on Homer's own painting, [f2]Burnt Mountain[].