Big Sky

Big Sky

Watercolor 9" x 12" Mats to 12" x 16"

My watercolor above, Big Sky, concluded the study of landscape painting for this unit.   Various methods and techniques for painting building roofs were explored.  A slate roof and tin roof were highlighted in the landscape above.  Although the focus of this painting is not on the roof, knowing the color combinations for specific types of roofs play an important part of this landscape and any landscape containing a building.

Watercolor Tip:
How to paint a slate roof:
The colors for slate roofs can be described as a blue/gray. The following watercolors are often used for slate roofs:
• Burnt Sienna
• Burnt Umber
• Ultramarine
• Cobalt Blue
• Raw Sienna
Sketch a slate roof and paint using the following steps.
1. Paint the ridge tiles at the top of the roof with a medium round brush and Burnt Sienna mixed with a little Ultramarine.
2. Mix a slate gray from Cobalt Blue and Burnt Sienna or Ultramarine and Burnt Umber and paint the roof using a larger round brush.
3. Drop in Raw Sienna wet into wet.
4. Drop in your chosen mix of colors wet into wet: (Ultramarine and Burnt Umber or Cobalt Blue and Burnt Sienna).
5. Using a rigger brush or a small flat brush, add detail to the ridge tiles with this same mix of blue/gray – wet on dry.

Happy Painting!
Karen