Machu Picchu #1 in Watercolour

Machu Picchu #1 in Watercolour

I loved the strong shapes of the terraces and the tall peak of Huayna Picchu, and I wanted a loose feel with a bright fresh green next to soft blue distant mountains for depth. The scene is perfect for a misty atmosphere, so I used wet in wet for the far ranges and softened edges to push them back in space.

I kept the values simple. Dark accents around the stone steps and walls help the light terraces sparkle, while broad washes suggest the dramatic slopes that look down over the ruins. For colour I reached for my usual palette. Neutral tint, burnt umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, viridian, spring green, cobalt green, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine, lavender, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, light red, cadmium yellow and a touch of white for highlights, with quinacridone gold here and there for glow in the sunlit grasses.

If painting a similar view, start with a big sky and mountain wash, keep it wet, and let soft blooms form the morning mist across the valley. When dry, carve out terraces with confident, broken brush marks, then drop in richer darks to suggest the ancient stone and the dramatic viewpoint that looks over the site and up to Huayna Picchu. Leave plenty of pure paper for sparkle and resist fiddling so the scene keeps that fresh high mountain air.

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