Painting color as value within a limited color scheme….

Mountainside jigsaw puzzle landscape

The above sketch is the result of contemplating why I am noticing so much rust and orange colors in the spring landscape. (I’m sure you wouldn’t guess that those were my thoughts from the colors in the sketch.)  I pulled into a parking lot and pulled out my fountain pen, peerless watercolor papers and a waterbrush.  Using a modified triad color scheme, two colors opposite on the color wheel and one color equidistant between them, I added color to my ink sketch thinking more about the value of the color than the hue.  I find the Peerless Watercolor Papers great for quick sketches and portability, but I don’t find it easy to mix the pigments or to control the value of the hues.  I achieve the best results when I choose the color according to the sample swatch I’ve painted next to the saturated paper.

Sketchbook drawing: Drawn en plein air, first with fountain pen followed by washes using a waterbrush and Peerless Watercolor Papers.