Red

I was trained to start landscapes using red. Just a wash, paint all your trees, rocks, everything in different shades of red.

Having done that I would paint in the shadows and the shadow side of trees, etc. by mixing a little blue or purple with the red. From there I would start painting in the true colors.

Some parts of the canvas would be left unpainted at first. For example snow would not necessarily be started in red, but the shadows might.

By painting in this way, the colors all blend and the reds and purples show through giving the finished work more vibrant color.