Painting the Warm Light of the Sonoran Desert

I love painting hot places and this scene from the Sonoran Desert was a joy. The warm earth, tall cactus shapes and a clear sky made a simple design with strong light and shadow. I kept the sky clean with a soft wash, then used bold marks for the cacti to catch that dry heat and distance. The focus was to suggest heat shimmer and space without too much detail, so the eye moves from the foreground texture up to the distant mountain. I used neutral tint, burnt umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, viridian green, spring green, cobalt green, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, lavender, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, light red, cadmium yellow and a touch of white for a few bright tips. I also dropped in quinacridone gold to warm the scrub and tie the scene together.

My method here was loose and direct. First a light sky wash of cerulean blue and cobalt blue, leaving a glow near the horizon. The mountain went in as one large shape with burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, with a few dark cuts for creases and cast shadows. The foreground is all about texture. I used dry brush and small flicks for grasses, then negative painting around the cactus arms to keep edges crisp. A few final lines and dots of white paint added sparkle. If this desert theme appeals, do try a limited section first, practise cactus silhouettes, then build up layers of warm and cool to get that sense of heat. More paintings, videos and workshop dates are on my website www.timwilmotartist.com