Here’s the second study I did the other day in Pacific Grove using the “brush in front” technique. I think the values/colors are good, but I probably could have “pushed” it a bit more, ie, widen the value/color range. No regrets. Every painting is a lesson.
Rocks & Surf (Pacific Grove) – Oil on Linen – 6×8″
Meanwhile, I did an bad painting Sunday. Yes, I’ll share it. There are lessons in those, right?
… and every “bad” painting is a great motivator, especially if you post them 🙂
Maybe it could also be the perhaps a bit hard edge of the horizon and the transition to the colour of the sky that makes you second guess a little?
Like the deep blue of the sea and the colours of the rocks a lot. They are nice and strong…even bold perhaps…. convincing.
Hey Bart, you’re right, the horizon edge is too hard. It’s sometimes hard for me to get a soft horizon line on such a small space (6×8).
I’m happy with the color too. I have added black to my palette, and it’s been a terrific neutralizer. I still use complements to get a color grayed down, but find black is also really effective. The ocean water is a combination of Ultramarine, Black and Cad Orange.
It still suprises me how gray a mix can look when mixed on my palette vs on the picture. Color truley is relative. Ovaness Berberian made the comment on some of my work that my color was too raw, out of the tube. Although a “colorist”, it’s really his mastery of gray that makes his color work. BTW, he tones down even his beautiful lights with a little black. That still amazes me.
It’s the first time I’ve visited your blog, and it was nice having a look around at some of your work. I like your energetic brushwork. also nice to read about your process too.
Wow.. read you comment on black carefully… I still haven’t started exploring black as I was influenced by the thought of so many that black is a colour not used in plein air painting. But when making colour charts the one with black was my absolute favourite. And now you are saying that one could consider even mixing black in (high)lights! …. I already love the thought of it…..