What is the Secret for Painting a Misty Landscape?

  'Morning on the River'                  13x8            pastel            ©Karen Margulis     available $175
 

Spending the week camping next to the river was amazing. I came home so inspired and I came home filled with information to help me pant from he photos I took. Spending time in my chair observing the many moods of the river was so helpful. I especially loved observing the morning mist rising from the river and shrouding the trees. How could I capture this fleeting condition?

It is actually quite simple. I am sharing demos and tips all month over on my Patreon group but I'll share a simple tip here......choose neutrals.  On a misty or foggy or hazy day the colors are not as vibrant. When they are shrouded by a mist they are neutralized. The exception are objects up close. In this case the soft light of an overcast sky makes the colors clear and vibrant. Photographers love to take macro shots on overcast days. 

Have a look at the palette of pastels I selected for today's painting. I have  four piles of grayed down neutral colors. There is a variety of values from dark to light. The lightest pastels will be used for the sky and for the mist. 

For more tips join me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/karenmargulis