Traditional drawing and painting skills are as important to develop as new digital visualization techniques. Grab a sketch book or watercolor set, make a trip to an interesting place and then commit the time to record what you see on paper!
I painted this series of five watercolors on a visit to New Mexico. I happened to be there in the fall when the aspen and cottonwood trees were in full color. I had a basic set of watercolors and a 10”x14”pad which was a perfect size for “laptop” field painting.
Rio Grande River. I sat on the river bank and painted the brightly colored cottonwood trees and river’s edge vegetation.
Sandia Peak Trail. I hiked into the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains on my way up to Sandia Peak. The spectacular trail begins just east of Albuquerque where I painted this scene midway up the mountain.
Watercolor Set. I have all of my colors painted on a chart so I can easily pick colors from my set.
Valley View. This second watercolor from the Sandia Peak Trail framed the western view with steep cliffs on either side. Dark pine trees contrast against the golden aspen trees in the valley floor.
New Mexico Landscape. This watercolor was my favorite as I painted it just south of Santa Fe, looking towards the distant Placer Mountain. I illustrated the foreground pinon pine trees and created a sense of distance with a gradation of lighter colors.
San Francisco de Asis. This small church located in Ranchos de Taos is one of western america’s oldest (1772) and most photographed or painted buildings. I chose to compose the watercolor with commercial buildings in the background to establish the site context. Being new to traditional watercolor technique, I overworked the sky. Practice, practice, practice. I’ll know better next time I approach a new watercolor!
Look for other interesting articles on my blog, visit my website www.drawingshortcuts.com and read my new book Drawing Shortcuts Second Edition.
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These are beautiful! I just returned from a trip to Albuquerque, where I used to live, and you've captured the essence of the landscape in Fall perfectly. I wish I'd had time to drive around and even take photos, let alone watercolor.
Posted by: Jillian | 02/08/2012 at 01:27 PM