Snow and ice may not be your favorite image right now, but
here in the Southern Midwest the snow brings an entire
new drama to what can be a rather mundane landscape, showcasing aspects of the
land often overlooked in other seasons.
Painting snow presents a unique challenge compared to other
subjects. Sketching a snowscape not only tests your comfort zone but low
temperatures can have an adverse effect on your materials. The real challenge
however, is that snow is never pure white, it is affected by the sky color and
reflections of whatever local color is surrounding it.
There is a whole color spectrum in snow, shadow colors that
range from blue to gray-violet and highlights that have subtle color shifts of
yellow and even pink.
Combined with contrast of blues, reds and greens of foliage
it truly is an entire subject of its own. A person just has to get out and
spend time looking closely to see all the true subtleties. Both studies 5x7 in oil on panel.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us
up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different
kinds of good weather.”
Explore - Question - Learn - - Enjoy, Jim
Two beautiful paintings ! You really show us the true color of snow , my brain reads white even though there re lots of colors here. And how brave to go out in the cold and paint...wonder about the color of your fingers :-)))
ReplyDeleteJane, The colors of snow can be challenging to see, I always try for the correct value first then ask myself these six questions, does the color need more blue, red, purple, orange, yellow or green.
DeleteIf I still can not find the answer about a color I like to use small color isolators that I make from old card stock and a paper punch. I have a post about them here if you are interested. It is under labels on the left listed under Tips and Tricks. Or here is the link.
http://pochadeboxpaintings.blogspot.com/2012/09/gray-scale-value-finder-color-isolator.html
The temperatures here have been fairly mild compare to much of the rest of the states, so honestly it was not so bad most of our snow was gone in a day or two. I could have used a pair of snow boots, my feet suffered the most.
Thanks so much for your comment, Jim
You see snow scenes a lot differently (pleasantly) than I do--but then you seem to have the right gear along with great determination and enthusiasm to get out in it and paint it from life. Boots are indeed the most important--but a warmer pair of pants would help too. Twenty degrees and a wind chill factor keep me in the studio working from my photographs.
ReplyDelete