Spanish mountain landscape 

Karl Peter Burnitz created this Spanish mountain landscape with pencil and watercolor. Look closely, and you'll notice the texture and weight of the mountain rendered by layering thin washes of color and fine pencil lines, capturing the subtle variations in light and shadow. The artist’s choice of watercolor allows for transparency and fluidity, mimicking the natural flow of water down the rock face. It’s a medium historically associated with preparatory sketches and studies, rather than finished paintings. And yet, there is a great deal of skill involved in this kind of work. Burnitz’s decision to render this landscape in pencil and watercolor imbues the image with a sense of immediacy and intimacy, bringing the grand subject of nature down to a more human scale. The ease with which these materials can be transported also speaks to the artist's engagement with the landscape and the directness of his observation. So, next time you see a landscape rendered so delicately, consider the labor involved and the choices an artist makes when trying to capture the essence of a place.