Tom Lynch was recently featured in two editions of the New Palette Magazine. He is a most adventerous artist and I loved the way that he showed us the photo reference and then the finished painting that he had done en plein air. The basic idea is that he encouraged us to not paint the picture but rather make art from the en plein air scene. Today is part two.
Lesson # 2 Quick Color Studies without a Pencil Sketch.
( Set a timer for these exercises )
Working with a large brush, capture the simple big shapes of each part, leaving unfinished white paper throughout.
# 3 New England Charm (11 x 15) was painted in 2 minutes with a 3/4 inch flat brush without drying any part or adding a second layer. Leave a good amount of white paper telling yourself that you will finish later. Move quickly around the scene. Don't over develop any one part of the painting. Constantly ask yourself - "Does it seem like a tree ? a rock ? a house ?" Move on. Do not add any refinements.
# 4 Mountain River (11 x 15) was painted in 10 minutes drying only once then adding a second tone to the rocks and the tree.
# 5 Autumn on the Cape (11 x 15) was painted in 20 minutes using a 3/4 inch flat brush. After drying once, darks were added with a 1/2 inch flat brush.
With each of these quick sketches, I was not concerned with the focal point ,unity, or any other structural components required for a studio painting. I painted these paintings with a simple and spontaneous approach, letting my intuition come through. This entire effort is more of a training process to improve my power of observation as a painter. This will influence my intuitive decisions later.
When the timer goes off for each one,... stop .. put a mat around the painting… stand back and see this as accomplishing something that looks different from your usual painting style. This will show that you are improving and growing as an artist.
Remember… less is more! I hope this is a new path for you to explore in your continued art journey.
See you in class or painting outdoors with me soon.
Welcome to Cheap Joe's Sketchbook, a place where artists can gain creative tips and ideas for their next art project. This art blog will inspire you to try new mediums across the art spectrum while gathering knowledge on different painting techniques.
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Welcome to Cheap Joe's Sketchbook, a place where artists can gain creative tips and ideas for their next art project. This art blog will inspire you to try new mediums across the art spectrum while gathering knowledge on different painting techniques.