This was painted early in the morning, with an overcast sky, so there was a hint of the sunrise low on the horizon to the left, but no dramatic side-lighting as I'd seen on the previous mornings. I almost didn't do this study, because at first glance it looked quite drab, but then I started to see the depths of colour in the foliage, and I stuck with it.Because there's no detail in the treetop to hold the eye, I think the background is a distraction here. I could have done with simplifying the background more, and emphasised the strong shapes in the tree. Writing this I'm now hoping for a dull day so I try out that idea. I do like the vague dark haze created by the background planting, with suggestions of water and buildings beyond.
3 comments:
going really well here :>)
I'd love to see you get the oils out so that you can mix your colours and really catch those subtle changes. Just oils in sketchbook, not the pressure of canvas.
Funny, I painted a plein air piece Saturday morning in the morning fog of San Francisco, and it also lead with trees in the foreground. I'll post it tomorrow.
I actually quite like painting foggy or overcast days as the light stays relatively constant for a time, and you get to focus on the subtle colors.
The colour and light book I'm reading at the moment (more about that in future posts) is all about oils, and I'm starting to see opportunities with oils I won't get in pastels. Vivein, your wish may come true.
Post a Comment