Continuing the World Inspired Landscapes series during the cold and gloomy weather, this one shows my impression of Kazakhstan, found in a very flat region in central Asia. All of the countries ending in 'stan' were once a part of the Persian Empire before they fell and split apart into different countries. There was a once a crossword clue 'number of STANS' and the answer was seven if I recall correctly. Looking into Kazakhstan on google maps and image search revealed one of the flattest countries, consisting of vast planes and steppes. The Mongols occupied this region in ancient times, it was ideal for their horses and way of life. To compose the painting I went with a vertical format to counteract the flatness of the landscape, and cut a river up through the center. Lush greenery grows adjacent to the water, which fades to dried grass then just expanses of gravel and sand. The colour transition was pure green, cool yellow, warm yellow, warm beige, beige, then cool beige and blue grey on the horizon. I did the water starting at the top with dilute turquoise (PG7 + PB15) then progressively adding more blue, then dark blue (Indo PB60), with a touch of magenta (PV55) at the bottom to darken it up. Design wise, I wanted the river to really pop against the otherwise bland scenery.
World Inspired Landscapes: Kazakhstan, watercolour 6 x 9" watercolour paper, January 2024
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