Cuba has wonderful beaches and dense tropical jungle. Hidden away in the west part of the island is the famous Viñales Valley dotted with limestone mogotes. The mountains are unusual shapes due to erosion, and covered in rich vegetation and trees. The valley is also known for its tobacco agriculture which I depicted in the painting. The A-frame sheds are for drying, the quilt-like fields are strewn about, and the farmers houses nestled in amongst the almost outer-worldly landscape. Although it was not visible in any of the reference material that I studied, I tucked the Caribbean sea up in the background.
To create the morning mist effect I filled in the mountain shapes with a graded dark blue wash that faded to white. Then I applied a yellow orange (PY110) wash to the right side, and a dark olive to the left side of each mountain, with additional texturing (PBk31). I made sure the colour washes also blended with the ground mist. The rising sun is casting shadows across the mountains which gives the feeling of morning. It seems like a neat place to visit, maybe one day my brushes will paint it in real life.
World Inspired Landscapes: Cuba, watercolour 6 x 7.5" rough press, February 2022 (No. 2971a)
I loved it. Maybe one day we can go together.
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