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Finding the right colours to use when painting a desert landscape can be tricky, as the paint mixture could end up looking artificial. In fact, many subdued colours can be found within sand dunes.
The Colour of Sand Dunes
Painting deserts provides a great opportunity for exploring bright colours and contrasts. Photographs will inevitably be used, but using broad brush marks and bold brush strokes, a vitality will be introduced into the painting. The following pointers might help.
Sunlit deserts not only contain bright colours, but also subdued colours. This can be seen in the palm trees and distant object.
Don’t use black to darken the colour of sand dunes. Introduce its complimentary colour. Yellow, for instance can be darkened by adding violet; golden-brown can be darkened by adding blue. This will enrich shadows.
Not all crests of sand dunes are the same. Some fold abruptly bringing a sharp division between sunlight and shade; others have a more undulating contour, creating a gradual tonal shift.
Even shadows have highlights. The crests of sand dunes within shade will often exhibit a lighter hue than within the valleys.
Distance can be suggested by the introduction of pink and white to the distant sand dunes.
Art Materials Required
A suitable photograph of sand dunes
A size 3 and 6 round sable brush or equivalent
A ½ inch flat bristle brush
12” x 16” (30.5 x 40.5cm) painting surface consisting of hardboard prepared with two coats of acrylic primer. Alternative surfaces such as an arboard can be used.
Acrylic colours consisting of any red and any blue
Oil paints in the following colours: titanium white, pthalo blue, ultramarine, permanent rose, burnt sienna and viridian green
A little artist’s spirits
Soft pencil and rubber
Tips on Painting Deserts
If the sky in the photograph is but a block of blue, as it is likely to be, using another photograph with interesting clouds can be used to echo the ripples of the sand dunes in the painting. Ensure the lighting conditions and the direction of sunlight in both photographs are similar.
Demonstration on Painting a Desert
To heighten contrast within the painting, two imprimituras had been applied. An imprimitura is an undercoat of paint that helps set the tone of the painting and/or set the mood. In this case, a thin coat of pthalo blue had been applied to the lower half of the painting surface, and cadmium red had been applied to the upper half. This would help heighten the contrasts between the sand and the sky.
The composition was sketched onto the painting surface and overlaid with neat pthalo blue acrylic to make the composition easier to see.
How to Paint Sand
Once the acrylic paint had dried, the highlighted areas of the sand dune were applied via a thin sable by the mixture of white and burnt sienna. More white was applied onto the crests of the dunes. For the deeper tones, a little permanent rose was introduced. Allowing some of the blue imprimitura to show between the brush strokes gives the resultant colour a shimmering effect.
For the shaded areas of the dunes, ultramarine and burnt sienna were used. This was applied with a sable. The two areas of colour and tone were then knitted together with a soft clean brush.
Troubleshooting
If the composition is a little unbalanced, try repositioning a palm tree. Strategic positioning of simple objects within an empty landscape creates possibilities for interesting focal points.
The Colour of Clouds in Deserts
Titanium and a dab of burnt sienna were used for the bright areas of cloud. A bristle brush was then used for the broad areas of blue sky, which consisted of pthalo blue and varying amounts of white. A little permanent rose was introduced nearer the horizon to suggest a heat haze.
Painting Palm Trees
The tree trunks were simplified into three areas. Light, medium and dark. Burnt sienna, burnt umber and varying amounts of white were used and applied with a thin sable. The sunlit and dark side gives a powerful impression of form. The palm heads are quite subdued in colour and consisted of viridian, ultramarine and burnt sienna. More burnt sienna was used for the dark areas.
Read about colour temperature on my science of colour site.
This site comprise of pictures and excerpts taken from my two art instruction books. Oil Paintings from Your Garden can be purchased direct from the author via this site, or through Amazon.
My other book, Oil Paintings from the Landscape can be purchased direct from Amazon. © Rachel Shirley 2010
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