Snow is NOT white

At least to an artist - snow is NOT white. Remember our earlier discussion of warm vs. cool? Thought I'd reinforce the point, add a little bit to that discussion  - AND throw in some new points on VALUE (lighter vs. darker). After all, it's a great time of year to talk about painting snow!

A photo I took out the windows this morning at sunrise...

Sunrise begins on Electric Peak in Yellowstone National Park

(Yes, I really do get to see this every morning out my windows. And yes, we still appreciate it!)

Look closely at the colors of the snow - where the sun is just beginning to touch the mountain (Electric Peak) the snow is warm - NOT just white.

AND, the lightest VALUE in the image. VALUE has nothing to do with color - which can be confusing. Color can be pretty 'showy' (especially at sunrise!) and get in the way of judging value. Ignore the color and think of it as a black and white photograph. Squint if you have to - it helps. You'll see the lightest area is that sunlit snow. But it is not white.

White is the coolest color on the palette. Therefore, you cannot use just white if you want that sunlit area to look right. It needs to have a warm feel. You would have to add a touch (a very small touch!) of warm colors to white - something like cadmium orange would work.

Then look at the snow on the mountain where the shadow begins...cooler AND a darker value. Here I'd go to a purple...depending on your palette, something like cobalt blue and alizarin crimson with white.

While we're talking about VALUE....notice how similar the VALUE is of the snow in shadow and the sky. If you can't see that, use your finger to cover over the sunlit spot of snow. This one is very subtle - but to differentiate the two, look hard for a color variance to define each. Compare them. What is the difference??...DO NOT READ ON UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOURSELF!!

What I see on my monitor....The snow is ever so slightly more purple (has more red - making it a bit warmer) and the sky is slightly more blue (cooler) when you compare the two. 

If we were painting this picture, not only do you need to get the warm vs. cool right, but you'll need to get the value right as well - so that it reads as snow in the sunlight and snow in the shadows. Then there's composition, and drawing, and............you get the idea. Painting has a lot for your brain to assimilate all at once - remember challenging yourself is good!