Yesterday I set myself a challenge to produce a painting within certain conditions.

These were the conditions of the challenge I set myself:

1. To produce an abstract painting , somewhat evoking a landscape feel.
2. Use a limited number of paints but allowed to mix the paint. (I used six. Detailed below.)
3. Only paint using the sponge or pouring splashing water eg. No brushes or knives.

The paints used were all acrylic as follows.
Reeves - pthalo blue
Reeves - burnt umber
Galleria - Raw sienna
Galleria - Crimson
Reeves - Titanium white
Generic store brand - cadmium yellow.

The end result first.

I used a photograph I took from a walk in Arnside, Cumbria. This picture is taken from Arnside knott looking down the estuary towards the village of Milnthorpe. It is an area classified by the national trust as an Area of Outstanidng Natural Beauty.

I did not want the painting to be an acurate representation of the photograph but I want to get the feel of distance and some sense of what it feels like in that landscape.

This is what happened.

The first picture shows my canvas and other materials. It is a scrap canvas that has leaf texture spray painted on it in brown. I dont mind and it may create interesting effects. The sponge I used is pictured also. It just a natural sponge usually available from art stores.

I know there are like 12 tubs of paint in this picture but I honestly only used the 6 listed. Promise. You can check my steemit rep, I have never told a lie. :D

I started by blocking out the horizon with the sponge and a mixture of white, raw sienna and pthalo blue.

I used a watery white to create the sky at the horizon line and the crimson mixed with white for the heavier and higher/nearer areas of the sky.

I mixed pthalo blue with raw sienna and raw umber to draw the dark line seperating foreground from the distance. Finally mixed some Cad yellow with Raw sienna and white to warm up the area right in the foreground.

The final piece

I like it. What about you? Would you try this challenge yourself? Let me know in the comments or tag me if you try the challenge yourself.

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@k3t3r