Mount Taranaki New Zealand

The mountain looked so sharp and clear against the blue sky when I sat down to paint this scene. Mount Taranaki has such a famous shape and I wanted to capture that snow on the peak using the white of the paper. The light was very crisp and bright which is perfect for watercolour because it creates those deep shadows. I used a lot of Ultramarine Blue and a touch of Neutral Tint to get the dark tones on the mountain side. This helps the white snow stand out even more.

In the foreground I have included some local cows and a simple fence line to lead your eye into the picture. For the grass I mixed some Yellow Ochre with Viridian Green to get that natural winter green colour. I kept the brushwork quite loose here because I did not want the field to take away from the mountain. The cows were added with a few quick strokes of Burnt Sienna and some dark spots for their markings.

Working on the sky was a quick process using a wash of Cobalt Blue and Cerulean Blue near the horizon. I like how the telephone poles and wires add a bit of real life to the landscape. It breaks up the view and makes the scene feel more authentic. The dark trees in the middle distance were painted with a thick mix of Ultramarine and Burnt Umber to create a solid base for the mountain to sit behind.

I am really happy with how the bright light turned out in this painting. It feels very fresh and cold just like a real winter morning in New Zealand.