Undertones can make your painting pop!
I have written one Blog entry about my use of undertones for painting, and I have decided to write another one involving the use of French Ultramarine Blue. Many of my large works are derived from a small study that I have done of which I am experimenting with colors, composition, and new ideas. From every painting that I have ever done... I learn more about painting. Snow can be difficult for many artists to paint, but with some observations of how light effects snow..the results can be spectacular. The prism effect of diffusing light when it strikes the surface of snow is about like looking thru a prism..every color of the spectrum can be seen. There are no boundaries of the color of snow when light is involved! I have painted snow scenes..without the color white. To add mood to this large piece, I have decided to use French Ultramarine Blue as a undertone color. I apply it in a diluted form with only using Gamsol as the thinner for the paint. 
While applying the paint, I will scumble in more pigment in areas to give a raised 3 dimensional effect. After covering the entire canvas with this diluted color, I begin to use a paper towel to smear and remove the paint, using the paper towel as a blotter, I begin to "lift" the paint in places to give the effect that I am looking for of snow. The paper towel will absorb most of the wetness, and in minutes..the painting begins to take shape.By applying the paint very thinly, I immediately start to lay in the painting with Payne's Grey, and decide on where to place the horizon, and adding interest to the piece. I also want to experiment with warm vs. cool colors, and to see what results I will get. For my warm color, I have decided to use a Raw Sienna as one of the primary colors.
I was so impressed with the results and combining the Payne's Grey along with the Raw Sienna, I added more color with Burnt Sienna. The blue undertone seemed to work well with the browns and the secondary colors stayed away from any green hues. Placing a heavy streak of white in the far background made an immediate change in the mood of the painting, and made an immediate impression on the viewer's eye. As I work more color into the painting, the use of blues increases the focal point.
Keeping with the Raw Sienna, the effect of sunlight streaming in can be achieved, along with the undertones which can be seen throughout the painting. Using secondary colors along with Payne's Grey makes the colors more interesting. At this point, I am trying different color combinations in the blue shadows to see what effects I can get. After deciding on which combination of colors I want to use, I complete the painting as shown.
By using an undertone for this piece, I have saved a lot of time trying to give the effects of shadows and depth to the piece. I hope this helps with giving folks ideas on how to start a painting, and what the results can be.
