DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2086#0106
92 LANDSCAPE PAINTING.
a sloping rock in advance. These short cuts not desirable for an artist, as they
exhaust him and make his hand shake, besides causing him to become too warm for
the quiet and still occupation of sketching. Determined to make a careful study,
imperial size, of some large holders of slate and schistose rocks lying in bed of
river, the colours of which were warmer and more varied than is usual with slate,
admitting the principal mass of light to be on them, conjointly with a little fall of
water between them, a battered trunk of a tree, almost without bark and the roots
up, was hitched in among the rocks, adding to the wild and picturesque confusion,
and giving variety and warmth to the colour—strata of loose rocks in different
directions, showing that they are not in position, but brought there by floods—lights
on largest mass yellow ochre and brown madder—moss, brown pink—shadows, van-
dyke brown and sepia, and black with yellow ochre—sometimes cooler, and then to be
made with the same colours without yellow ochre, but with indigo and French blue;
reflection of warm light on water at the bottom of rock, raw sienna : torrent rich in
colour to-day owing to rains—as long as water glides over the rounded surface of
the rock, all dark rich colour, something of the colour of porter or strong tea, brown
pink, madder, vandyke brown, and a little indigo ; but when it springs out from rock
and air comes behind it, lighter—colour of trunk of tree, rich burnt sienna or light
red and Payne's gray, or on the bark indigo and lake, with yellow ochre ; fortunate
that it lies in a position to unite two masses of light so as to form one—second
large mass of rock richer in colour, brown madder and French blue—other masses
much grayer—indigo and Indian red—Payne's gray and light red—black and yellow
ochre, with little brown pink—whole mass of rocks relieved in light against quiet
gray green trees in shadow—distant rocks and crags, cool gray with warm lights.—
Mem. The whole mass of foreground brilliant without being crude; no violent
contrasts of colour—no great appearance of opposition,—such as purple and yellow,
or blue and orange, or green and red,—yet quite effective."
As this work is of a practical nature, I venture to add one more description of
the mode of proceeding with another rocky subject.
" September.—Sad rainy and stormy weather the last three days; this morning
rather better, but large volumes of dark lowering clouds drifting over the mountains.
All distance hidden, so determined to try and find a sheltered nook in the bed of
the Conway once more. As I was likely to sketch only near objects, took What-
man's roughest paper well stretched, half imperial—found a good group of slate and
other rocks in torrent, all the colours variations of the tertiary compounds and
hues, and cool, with the exception of a gleam now and then on some warmer-coloured
mass. After the outline, covered the whole paper with a full deep tone of indigo and
Indian red; indigo and brown madder, or indigo and vandyke brown, leaving the
a sloping rock in advance. These short cuts not desirable for an artist, as they
exhaust him and make his hand shake, besides causing him to become too warm for
the quiet and still occupation of sketching. Determined to make a careful study,
imperial size, of some large holders of slate and schistose rocks lying in bed of
river, the colours of which were warmer and more varied than is usual with slate,
admitting the principal mass of light to be on them, conjointly with a little fall of
water between them, a battered trunk of a tree, almost without bark and the roots
up, was hitched in among the rocks, adding to the wild and picturesque confusion,
and giving variety and warmth to the colour—strata of loose rocks in different
directions, showing that they are not in position, but brought there by floods—lights
on largest mass yellow ochre and brown madder—moss, brown pink—shadows, van-
dyke brown and sepia, and black with yellow ochre—sometimes cooler, and then to be
made with the same colours without yellow ochre, but with indigo and French blue;
reflection of warm light on water at the bottom of rock, raw sienna : torrent rich in
colour to-day owing to rains—as long as water glides over the rounded surface of
the rock, all dark rich colour, something of the colour of porter or strong tea, brown
pink, madder, vandyke brown, and a little indigo ; but when it springs out from rock
and air comes behind it, lighter—colour of trunk of tree, rich burnt sienna or light
red and Payne's gray, or on the bark indigo and lake, with yellow ochre ; fortunate
that it lies in a position to unite two masses of light so as to form one—second
large mass of rock richer in colour, brown madder and French blue—other masses
much grayer—indigo and Indian red—Payne's gray and light red—black and yellow
ochre, with little brown pink—whole mass of rocks relieved in light against quiet
gray green trees in shadow—distant rocks and crags, cool gray with warm lights.—
Mem. The whole mass of foreground brilliant without being crude; no violent
contrasts of colour—no great appearance of opposition,—such as purple and yellow,
or blue and orange, or green and red,—yet quite effective."
As this work is of a practical nature, I venture to add one more description of
the mode of proceeding with another rocky subject.
" September.—Sad rainy and stormy weather the last three days; this morning
rather better, but large volumes of dark lowering clouds drifting over the mountains.
All distance hidden, so determined to try and find a sheltered nook in the bed of
the Conway once more. As I was likely to sketch only near objects, took What-
man's roughest paper well stretched, half imperial—found a good group of slate and
other rocks in torrent, all the colours variations of the tertiary compounds and
hues, and cool, with the exception of a gleam now and then on some warmer-coloured
mass. After the outline, covered the whole paper with a full deep tone of indigo and
Indian red; indigo and brown madder, or indigo and vandyke brown, leaving the