Rainstorm Beneath the Summit

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · prussian blue · burnt umber · titanium white · raw sienna

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · payne's gray · vandyke brown

Mix blues with white for sky gradation, combine burnt umber with raw sienna for mountain slopes, use pure white with slight blue tint for clouds

techniques

• ·wet-on-dry layering for distinct cloud shapes
• ·stippling or dry brush for volcanic texture
• ·graduated wash for sky transitions
• ·hard edge definition between elements
• ·atmospheric perspective through value shifts

common pitfalls

• →overblending the sky gradient and losing the crisp horizon line
• →making clouds too soft or undefined
• →losing the dramatic contrast between light and dark areas
• →not maintaining the geometric simplicity of the composition