O
ne of my favorite subjects
to paint is Mt Talbot in
Fiordland, New Zealand.
The mountains in this area are
rugged, majestic and beautiful and
their forms make it relatively easy
to compile dramatic and engaging
compositions.
If you have never done plein air
painting before, it can be helpful to
have a go at painting in a plein air
style in your studio first of all. Please
feel free to use and have a go at
painting the image on the right.
My Colour Palette
For all my paintings, studio and
outdoor (plein air) I use Langridge
Handmade Oil Paints. The following
is a list of colours I used in painting
this scene.
- Titanium white
- Cadmium yellow deep
- Yellow oxide
- Burnt sienna
- Burnt umber
- Cadmium red light
- Quinacridone magenta
- Ultramarine blue
- Cobalt blue
- Cobalt teal
- Pthalo green
Choosing your subject
When painting mountains or
indeed any landscape en plein air, I
feel it’s best to simplify the subject.
It is important to not only establish a
good composition but to be mindful
of where the light source is coming
from and how it interacts with the
landscape as this will help to make
an engaging painting. This scene is
particularly good to paint as there
is strong contrast between light and
dark values.
Landscape paintings are always
more dramatic and interesting if
there are a range of highlights and
shadows and variation in tonality.
When painting en plein air, it is
Painting Mt Talbot step-by-step
helpful to squint your eyes, which removes some of the colour and makes lights
and darks in the landscape more obvious. This is hugely helpful in establishing
tonal values in your painting.
Mountains are an attractive subject to paint, the feeling of great height,
elevations, high ground and physical shapes can make a very dramatic and
beautiful painting. If mountains are the main subject of the painting, drama can
be created by having a low horizon with the top contours of the mountains being
placed near to the upper edge of the canvas. If appropriate to the harmony of the
composition, the mountains can even go off the canvas.
When painting light on mountains they should be painted as such where
they are either mostly in shadow or mostly in light as equal measures can be
monotonous and hinder the composition.
In this scene I have made Mt Talbot my focal area. I have made a few alterations
to the composition to make it a more harmonious and engaging painting. This
included altering and moving the shape of the river and simplifying the elements
in the foreground.
A good rule of thumb when painting plein air, is to always turn your easel so it
is in the shadow of the sun. This way it is easier to paint the subject and reduces
the risk of making your painting tonally too dark.