Painting View from Jennings Peak Using a Limited Palette

View from Jennings Peak (White Mountains, NH). This painting was another experiment. First time I have done a 10" X 20" canvas. I enjoyed working on this panorama format.  I combined techniques from two different books.  First I started with a transparent pyrrole orange undercolor. All paints used on this experiment were acrylic paints. When that dried, I combined the orange with some dioxazine purple for the dark areas (also undercolor). (From book: "Brilliant Color" by Julie Gilbert Pollard.) I worked in layers with the limited palette colors.

Actually, I first made a small watercolor study to see if I liked this view enough to paint. I had several photos to choose from.  I thought this view was easy enough to experiment on.

The limited palette idea came from the book "The Painterly Approach" by Bob Rohm, except that I didn't have exactly the same red as his palette was oil paints and I was working in acrylics. I used cadmium yellow light, cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue, viridian and titanium white.

I found that I had difficulty getting the color mixes the way I wanted them, but I am satisfied with the painting.  I struggled with getting the darks dark enough.  I mixed a light lavender for the gray granite rock and I liked that look. (New Hampshire is the "Granite State"). Actual photo I was working from below:

More information about the actual hike in my  posting of August 1, 2010. It was a strenuous hike and I won't be doing that again, but I have my photos and memories to paint from.

Next experiment will be done with similar limited palette, but working in water mixable oil paints.

To purchase a card or print of this painting: View from Jennings Peak