Sun Setting on Loyola Campus

 This scene was from Loyola campus, I painted it just after work when the sun was setting over the Psychology building. The composition created a menacing appearance to the building, it is melting at the bottom, with a dim sun penetrating the overcast sky. I meant this painting to be a metaphor for change, for modernization of the campus. More so than the campus, a modernization of the way people think. Its a lot for a tiny painting of a roof! 

I used to paint darks with a witches brew of paints. Now I use dark paints, and no more than two or three accent paints. For example, the roof was perylene green (PBk31) with carbon black (PBk6) and some iso yellow (PY110) for the highlight at the top. The roof did not really look this way, it was a flat green like a chalk board, but I wanted the sun to be almost dripping onto the building. The bricks were done with a layer of burnt sienna mixed with the green from the roof on the palette, and over painted with pure burnt sienna (PR101/PBr7). Finally, the tree was perylene maroon (PR179) with carbon black, and iso yellow for highlights.  

In simple terms, I use dark paints and black to start the mixes, then adjust with other colours. The signature on this one was pyrol red (PR254), and I added a little to the tree too. I almost always finish a painting with the signature, and use some of the same paint for the signature for the last few brush strokes.

Sun Setting on Loyola Campus, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2021 (No. 2822)