Mountains - my nemeses

[Rikard]

I've been away from painting for a while. Not really away from watercolours. But I fell down the rabbit hole of mixing and researching pigments. And haven't really been trying to actually paint. It started as I wanted to assemble a minimal palette for travel. And that took well longer than I thought. But now I've gotten back into image making again. I feel like I lost some progress. And that I'm doing worse than before.

A couple of days ago I spent a night up on kleine Schiedegg in Switzerland. It's a most beautiful spot and the hotel lies at the foot of mount Eiger. The evening light reflected from the mountain was truly spectacular. Red vibrant light.

Now, I've always struggled the most when painting a mountain. I just can't get my style/process to render anything I like.
Mountains from a distance, as parts of a landscape, is easier. I can paint them loosely and quick. And the result registers as mountains. But when the mountains are the focal points, the star players. It just becomes a muddy mess.

Here below is a photo from the hotel of mount Eiger. As well as my miserable attempts. I will humiliate myself by posting all of them. And continue to do so until I've come up with something I like.

Another mountain - on rough paper this time.

More might be coming. Avert yer eyes

 

[Donna T]

It’s good to see your work again, Rikard. I think you did a very good job with a difficult subject - in unusual light no less! I understand the challenge of a mountain with your painting style because you keep your shapes separate. I like how you made the background (mountain) all one shape and then you added individual shapes within. The light wasn’t really defining the face of the mountain so you made the most of what you could see.

 

[PaintBoss]

Rikard. Nice to see you around. I know I’m rusty when I start back doing art. It’s amazing even the basic stuff that gets rough around the edges. You’ll warm up. Hey I like all your attempts. I like how you’re feeling around and trying different things. What a stunning location and photo! You know what comes to mind? Those vintage postcards or posters of landmarks in United States and Canada encouraging travel (from 1920s/30s?). Sort of art deco, very illustrative. I want you to take a look at some that I posted for you. These come from different poster reproduction companies that you can order from. There’s also reproductions on Amazon.However, I do not know the artists responsible for all these works, only sometimes the original company that sponsored the work. Please note how the style would be very suitable for your photo and how it’s only a few colours.
That mountain has a beautiful play on two colours- one that goes forward and the other that recedes to imply shadow. And in other areas it has a slight variation in the value towards more grey. Much less contrast. Values are much closer. Almost a blurred effect at some points. Or the warm colour is mixed with white (snow caps). It is a very definite colour scheme. Notice the colours used up against each other making it very interesting visually. It’s quite abstract in the high part of the mountain as far as shapes abutting each other,alternating with the main colors pushing forward or implying receding shapes.
If you reduced down your pallet to four or five colours you only need a very few for the actual mountain and these styles that I’m showing you. You can darken and lighten those colours were needed. The green is washed down a little bit, and when it changes values even slightly, look for it as a shapes -even on the gentle slopes. Colour, shapes/value. It’s a way to break down what you see. Your scene can be broken down in those colours in an abstract sense. In blocks of colours. I think my examples will help explain it better than me. Anyways, simplify simplify simplify! The high values imply strong light/shadow- you really want to use strong alternating colour that is not greyed out.
This is a real fun style and it looks very cool.

 

[Jade]

I fell down a pencil research rabbit hole recently.. easily done! Well done on getting back to painting.

 

[Rikard]

Rikard. Nice to see you around. I know I’m rusty when I start back doing art. It’s amazing even the basic stuff that gets rough around the edges. You’ll warm up. Hey I like all your attempts. I like how you’re feeling around and trying different things. What a stunning location and photo! You know what comes to mind? Those vintage postcards or posters of landmarks in United States and Canada encouraging travel (from 1920s/30s?). Sort of art deco, very illustrative. I want you to take a look at some that I posted for you. These come from different poster reproduction companies that you can order from. There’s also reproductions on Amazon.However, I do not know the artists responsible for all these works, only sometimes the original company that sponsored the work. Please note how the style would be very suitable for your photo and how it’s only a few colours.
That mountain has a beautiful play on two colours- one that goes forward and the other that recedes to imply shadow. And in other areas it has a slight variation in the value towards more grey. Much less contrast. Values are much closer. Almost a blurred effect at some points. Or the warm colour is mixed with white (snow caps). It is a very definite colour scheme. Notice the colours used up against each other making it very interesting visually. It’s quite abstract in the high part of the mountain as far as shapes abutting each other,alternating with the main colors pushing forward or implying receding shapes.
If you reduced down your pallet to four or five colours you only need a very few for the actual mountain and these styles that I’m showing you. You can darken and lighten those colours were needed. The green is washed down a little bit, and when it changes values even slightly, look for it as a shapes -even on the gentle slopes. Colour, shapes/value. It’s a way to break down what you see. Your scene can be broken down in those colours in an abstract sense. In blocks of colours. I think my examples will help explain it better than me. Anyways, simplify simplify simplify! The high values imply strong light/shadow- you really want to use strong alternating colour that is not greyed out.
This is a real fun style and it looks very cool.

Thank you so much Christine. Those examples are great. Abstracted and simplified. I will definitively find use for them. I think one of my problems is that I like to work quick, with a large brush. As soon as I bring out a small brush and start to work on the smaller cracks and features I cramp up and start to feel that it looks to tight. Then I bring back the big brush and completely ruin the thing.

I don't know any artist that paints mountain exactly the way I would like to. Actually I don't know how I would like it to look either But one artist who I like is John Marin. Who as a loose and slightly messy style which I admire.

I shall soldier on :

 

[Jade]

They're great.. I like them a lot. Good you're back to it

 

[Rikard]

They're great.. I like them a lot. Good you're back to it

Thank you. The paintings in my last post was done by John Marin though

 

[PaintBoss]

Oh, he’s cool. I looked him up even more. Completely opposite end of the spectrum from my examples.Very loose, sometimes very light. Not doggedly faithful to be exact. He is more expressive and allows for more whimsy and experimentation. Some pieces carry more weight. It’s a forgiving style. And now I see what you’re going for. Your last painting in your original post I think comes the closest.

 

[Jade]

Thank you. The paintings in my last post was done by John Marin though

I thought so but can see your similar style.

 

[Rikard]

Oh, he’s cool. I looked him up even more. Completely opposite end of the spectrum from my examples.Very loose, sometimes very light. Not doggedly faithful to be exact. He is more expressive and allows for more whimsy and experimentation. Some pieces carry more weight. It’s a forgiving style. And now I see what you’re going for. Your last painting in your original post I think comes the closest.

Indeed. There is poetry in some of those brush marks I tend to paint more "blocky". But do enjoy being loose and expressive.

 

[Balaji]

Thank you so much Christine. Those examples are great. Abstracted and simplified. I will definitively find use for them. I think one of my problems is that I like to work quick, with a large brush. As soon as I bring out a small brush and start to work on the smaller cracks and features I cramp up and start to feel that it looks to tight. Then I bring back the big brush and completely ruin the thing.

I don't know any artist that paints mountain exactly the way I would like to. Actually I don't know how I would like it to look either But one artist who I like is John Marin. Who as a loose and slightly messy style which I admire.

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I shall soldier on :

Rikard...You are definitely on your way to mastering the style that you admire. But, in my opinion, where you are falling short is through your reluctance to wield the smaller brush. I think that if and when you get over that hurdle, your paintings will be so much more effective. One other requirement, I think, is mastering the timing and water content of the paint when you use the smaller brush.