Intro to Painting, class #4. Meadow, Bethel Vermont 4 / 14 / 2014

Today, we’re painting a Vermont scene from a photo I took in Bethel last July. You can grab the reference image and reversed drawing below.

I start with the sky—mixing white, cerulean blue, a bit of yellow, and burnt umber—laying it in first so I can push the greens up into it later. For the trees, I tone down the greens with burnt umber and gray to keep them natural. Light and shadow play a big role, so I adjust as I go, blending and refining.  

Sometimes, I like the rough, sketchy look of a painting, but I push forward, tweaking colors and defining shapes. After finishing, I let it sit on my test easel—if it still looks good after a few hours, that’s a win.  

Thanks for watching—keep painting, and I’ll see you next week!