Red Rocks of Sedona - Part 2

Foreground and Yucca Plants:
The basic painting has been sketched in and now I plan to add some detail to the yucca plants in the foreground. See sketch above.

I drew in a little more detail for the stems and flowers. Since the yucca flower is mostly white, I will need to mask off the areas that need to remain white.

I used artist masking fluid to mask off these areas. For those of you who have never masked or may need a little refresher, the following are basic tips on masking:

- Use an old brush or one specifically put aside for masking. The masking compound is rubberized fluid which is difficult to remove from a brush and could ruin a brush for other uses. I use an "old" #6 round brush for most of my masking; and if I need a finer line, I use the tip of a toothpick However, for more precise masking, brushes can be bought specifically for that purpose. I am an Impressionist painter, so I don't need the precision of a finer brush.

- Dip the brush into a small container of liquid soap. This will coat the bristles and prevent or reduce the damage to the brush. It will also aid in clean up.

- Once the brush has been dipped in the soap, dip in the masking fluid and "paint" the areas you would like mask.

- Immediately wash the brush with soap when masking is complete. Never allow the masking fluid to dry on the brush. If the masking fluid dries on the brush, it will harden the bristles and the brush will be useless.

See my photo below for the masked yucca flowers. Allow the masking fluid to dry before proceeding with the painting.

Painting the sky:
I wanted a bright blue for the sky with a few hints of red reflected from the rocks below. I used the following colors:

- Cerulen Blue
- Phthalo Blue
- Crimson

The main sky color is Cerulen blue. I mixed a small amount of Phthalo blue for the upper part of the sky.

To paint the sky, apply clean water to the sky area and add a wash of your selected sky color. Starting at the top, paint down to the rock formations. While still wet, drop in a little bit of the Crimson in various spots.

To make the clouds, use a dry tissue (Kleenex) and remove areas of paint in the shape you would like.

Refer to my painting below. Allow to dry.

Next blog, we'll start on the red rocks...this will exciting to paint in the layers of rock.

Until then..........

Happy Painting!
Karen