Here’s my painting from Day 2. The same rock/setting the Aaron did as a demo the previous day. My challenge was to get some hard edges. I like the soft edges, trying to get too much detail too quickly!
On Day 3, we met at the park and scouted out a couple of spots to paint. The rock and hills were still back-lit, making the the values a little challenging.Aaron’s painting from the morning of Day 3
Julie Marr found a great little spot overlooking the scene and we had a great time painting for a couple of hours. She lent me a piece of pastelmat to try and I have to say, I really liked it! The tooth is much softer and finer than UArt paper and yet gentler than pastelboard. I might just have to order a pack or two to try further.
Here’s my version of the same view. I love how each person sees the same place so differently. We were up on a hill, looking down with a rock formation in front, unlike Aaron who was further down the valley looking up at the formation.
I was struggling to get the right combinations of greens to create the blues of the trees and the yellows of the grass. (Once I got back to Terry’s studio, I found some perfect greens!) Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to finish before breaking for lunch. The light was changing so quickly, that it would have been nice to go back the next morning.
We had a little more time after lunch before we needed to go back to the studio to wrap up. I was able to do this quick little painting. It forced me to focus on value and shape, getting in the basic forms quickly – especially as the sweat began to pour down my back!
I’m excited to get out and do some more plein air work. Thanks Aaron for the instruction and Julie and the other painters for the inspiration and tips!
What do you think?