Lone Eucalyptus – Painting a Day
“Lone Eucalyptus” – 6.25″ x 11″ – watercolor on 140# paper
I wouldn’t have thought that a limited color scheme would grow on me, but it has. This is a place that I like to paint often – a wild arroyo area not far from our home. I especially like the tall solo eucalyptus that lords it over the wetlands. Many eucalyptuses are naturally blue-green in color, which would make the split complements red and orange (the direct complement would be red-orange.) So I decided to give it a try, just to see what would happen. I was surprised and pleased with the results, which is a lesson for me to keep an open mind when it comes to using color schemes rather than just copying what I see.
For comparison, here’s what the scene really looked like a few months ago when I took the picture:
oh those colors! great to see the source and the interpretation, thanks!
The color scheme works exceptionally well for this subject.
i agree – the colors you saw with your mind’s eye are even more alive than the colors that were “really” there. the complimentary scheme works to convey a kind of edginess, the eucalyptus’ blue shade and dominance in this little slice of landscape. I really like this one too.