View From The North Window

Watercolor Painting by Dennis Pendleton. The view from the the north windows on the second floor of the Art students League of Denver has always intrigued me and, when I saw it at night after a snow storm, I was really inspired. Now shapes were simplified and details were eliminated by the blanket of snow and I could use unpainted white paper as a major part of the composition. This is harder than it sounds because I had to decide how much of the composition would be the roof, how to differentiate it from the roof on the distant house and also from the snow in the yard. You can see how I used light washes of cerulean blue with soft edges to show the thickness of the snow on the roofs, a darker value of cerulean for the yard and, finally, an even darker value for the sky. Using large shapes in the foreground, like the roof that overlaps the middle ground and even part of the background, always gives an interesting feeling of depth to a painting.

The house is actually gray but I choose a warmer color, mixed with cobalt violet and yellow ochre, because I thought it would settle in nicely with all the cool colors. Also, lighting up the windows with warm yellows turned that spot into a focal point.

Leading the viewer's eye through the painting is always something I think about and the dormers on the big roof are just interesting enough to slow you down as you move into the middle ground. Also the utility poles, which I leaned to the left and right, lead you into the background where you see the skyline of downtown Denver. Finally with all the geometric shapes in the roofs, utility poles and skyline, the intricate trees added the final touch.

In January I am teaching an Online Zoom Class at the Art Students League of Denver titled, "Creating Sparkling Whites in Watercolor," so sign up and join me as we learn how to use white paper effectively in watercolor. Click Here For More Info Happy Painting! Dennis Pendleton