Painting Winter Bracken in South West France

I recently spent some time in South West France during the winter months. The landscape there is very beautiful even when it is cold. I found a lovely forest clearing where the sun was hitting the old bracken. The ferns had turned a deep rusty colour which looked great against the green trees.

To get those warm winter tones I used a lot of burnt sienna and burnt umber. These colours are perfect for showing the dead ferns on the ground. I also added some yellow ochre to show where the light was hitting the plants. For the sky I chose a bright cerulean blue to make the whole scene feel fresh and crisp.

I wanted to keep the trees in the background quite simple so they did not take away from the bracken. I used some viridian green and a bit of ultramarine blue for the darker areas of the woods. At the end I used some white paint to add the thin stems of the plants. It is a very nice way to make the painting pop.