Which Colors Should I Use For Landscape Painting?
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
Earth Tones for Landscape Painting
Van Gogh’s dreams reflect a wash of bright, impressionistic colors. When I paint in the impressionist style, I tend to go for non-realistic expressions of color. However, it is important to study the master’s and how they constructed paintings that represented closely the colors they saw. Interpretation is key to original art. Yet, fundamentals in color theory are the most important aspect of producing a landscape.
In these color swatches, I use the traditional colors for Dutch paintings.
Yellow Ochre
Raw Sienna
Burnt Umber
Red Ochre
Originally red ochre, made from iron oxide, was taken from animals and vegetables. It is believed this was one of the most ancient colors. Giorgio Vasari painted in Florence, Italy using this color. Yellow ochre is also a natural color made from limonite. It has quickly become one of my favorite colors to use.
My favorite color is Naples yellow. Naples yellow is the oldest artificially created color and the Sicilian renaissance painters used it. I prefer a shade between Naples yellow and yellow ochre, a bit softer. If you use these colors, you will effectively achieve natural tones in your painting. Learning the basics of traditional painting will help in determining which colors will produce the color you’re going for and prevent your palette from getting muddy.
Let’s dream in color.