I've had a tough time recently bringing myself to the painting table. Partly related to the adjustment to my return to work, but I've also felt a bit intimidated or overwhelmed by beginning a complicated painting.
Today I broke the ice by practicing a scene that began with a wash. I used a pretty small palette- Phthalo blue GS, Quin gold, burnt sienna, raw umber, and hansa yellow medium, but felt the raw umber made it a bit muddy.
Then I did it again with just 4: Phthalo blue GS, Quin gold, Italian burnt sienna, and hansa yellow medium. Though I think there's more harmony in the second piece, too much Phthalo blue in the water and impatience that caused too much feathering left the composition less defined.
Adding ink to define the edges helped, but again, I overdid it: holding back a bit on the mountain and avoiding the sun/sunset area altogether would have left a much less "busy" feeling.
It was quick and fun, though, and best of all, it got me painting without feeling like it would be a huge, overwhelming process. Progress!
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