The making of : Volcanic Rocks at Hikurangi: 8×12 LIVE!

Описание: Watch me transform a challenging midday blue-sky reference into a warm tonalist interpretation at this volcanic rock landscape near Hikurangi, Northland.

This session demonstrates my complete digital prep workflow in PhotoPea - using color balance adjustments, the "Indian Summer" filter to turn greens into golds, and strategic darkening to add depth. I'm tackling a complex scene full of rocks and native trees, simplifying without losing the rocky feeling, and painting on an unusual surface (white gesso topped with acrylic) that creates unexpected smoothness.

See my full palette in action - how Burnt Umber gives more life to sky blues than Raw Umber, why Mars Yellow wakes up warm grays, and how to use complementary color theory to juice up reds as the antidote to all those greens.

Watch me stay out of "draftsman mode" during drawing, manage complex detail without getting precious, and know when to stop before overworking. Plus a next-day touch-up session showing what genuinely needs fixing versus what's better left alone. Check out the corresponding blog post for this Live Session: [Insert URL here]

This session includes:
• See my complete PhotoPea workflow for transforming boring midday blue references - color balance, saturation adjustment, and filter techniques
• Learn why the "Indian Summer" filter works perfectly for turning green grass into gold tones
• Watch strategic darkening in the reference to add depth and interest before you even start painting
• My full palette breakdown with reasoning - why Burnt Umber over Raw Umber for this particular sky
• See how Mars Yellow wakes up warm grays and gets them out of dark mode
• Learn the distinction between drawing and "draftsman mode" - staying complete but not tweaky
• Watch how to paint complex rocky terrain without getting precious or lost in detail
• My approach to greens - using Mike's Green with Acrylite Yellow (not Cad Yellow) for optimal opacity
• See three value steps in grasses with hue changes - dark, medium, and light with different color bases
• Learn why you never want light on rocks brighter than the sky - maintaining atmospheric hierarchy
• Watch a next-day touch-up session - what genuinely needs fixing versus what's better left alone

This 8×12 Hikurangi study proves that even complex, rocky terrain doesn't need to overwhelm you if you simplify strategically and trust your color relationships.

For complete 4K painting sessions with no ads, reference images, and detailed transcripts, join my YouTube Members Area at https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/. Explore my Substack Studio Pass at https://mfrancismccarthy.substack.com/ for weekly newsletters, expanded content, and new paintings added to the gallery weekly.

📚 Buy My Book here: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/book
✍️ Substack: https://mfrancismccarthy.substack.com/
📝 Current Blog: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/20...
🎨 My website: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/
📧 Join my Mailing List: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/ma...
🛒 My store: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/pr...
🎨 Mike's Gallery: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/ga...
📄 Live Session Transcripts: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/li...
🎵 My music: https://abyssm.bandcamp.com/
💝 Support this channel: https://www.landscapepainter.co.nz/do...

Thanks for watching🙂

YouTube Tags:
#landscapepainting #oilpainting #painting #tonalism #tonalist #tonalistlandscape #oilpaintingdemonstration #landscapepainting #tonalistlandscapepainting #paintingdemonstration #mfrancismccarthy #artlesson #paintingtutorial #newzealandlandscape #hikurangi #rockpainting #volcanicrocklandscape #colortheory #photopea #digitalreference #skypainting #grasspainting #treepaintng #forestlandscape #whangarei #mikesgeen #prussianblue #colorbalance