Mount St Helens erupting at night

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ultramarine blue · sap green · cadmium orange

Achieve the dark background by mixing ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and a touch of sap green. Mix orange and red for the lava, and add white to create highlights on the volcano.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·dry brushing
• ·atmospheric perspective
• ·broken color

common pitfalls

• →Making the background too light, which will flatten the image.
• →Overblending the reflections, which will make them look unnatural.
• →Using too much detail in the background, which will distract from the focal point.
• →Failing to create a strong sense of light and shadow.