How I Painted this Autumnal Landscape

Hello Steemers

It's autumn here in New Zealand and last week I went painting outdoors in Dalefield down the road from where I live. We had a cold snap that brought snow to the mountains and even down to lower levels.

I painted this art work outdoors on location and I managed to get it finished just in time before before it started sleeting. My hands were so cold I couldn't move them to clean up my brushes and easel and I had to put it back in the car and clean up when I got back to my studio.

This is the painting I created and I'll show you how I painted it.

Autumn Trees, Dalefield, New Zealand, 8" x 10", oil on canvas panel.

This was the view I painted, you can see the snow storms on the distant mountains.

I set up my Strada easel and got to work painting.

I'm painting on an 8" x 10" canvas panel and I sketch out the composition in burnt umber.

I start by painting the clouds and mountains and I used the same colours which include ultramarine blue, burnt umber, quinacridone magenta and titanium white. Using these same colours throughout the painting helps create colour harmony.

One thing I loved about this particular afternoon was the contrast between areas in light and and areas in shade due to the fast moving clouds, it was creating a spot light effect.

I decided to make the foreground in light so I could contrast the trees against a dark mid ground. I paint the mid ground hills using the same colour I used in the clouds and mountains but introducing a little yellow oxide and pthalo green. I also paint the sky.

Next I start painting the trees, I decided to paint some of the trees with their autumn colours and leaves some others with green foliage to add interest to the painting.

Next I paint the grass in the foreground using a saturated green and making sure it's tonally lighter than the trees and mid ground.

I was near to getting my painting finished but I was seriously having to haul arse as I could see the approaching snow storm suddenly coming towards me very quickly. See how you can't see the mountains in the distance anymore!

I completed the painting by adding sheep and branches to the trees as well as refining the painting overall. It was literally sleeting as I was finishing up.

Check out my website for more painting demos and my art: samuelearp.com 

Subscribe to my mailing list for news, new paintings and art tips and receive a FREE digital art print download of one of my seascape paintings suitable for printing an image of any size: https://www.samuelearp.com/subscribe/