This week I had a wonderful day painting the Fox River. I was standing in the above scene right on the grassy bank shown above. Not shown is the ducks, geese, and fishermen hanging around. I unpacked my French Easel (which I use instead of my Open Box M pochade box when I want to paint at a larger size than 11" x 14".)
I set up the easel in the shade so I wouldn't have bright sunlight on my 16" x 20" stretched canvas. Even though I often use panels for convenience sake, I decided to use a stretched canvas in honor of one of my favorite plein air painters: Rick Howell. I raised the canvas so it is a bit below eye level and doesn't block the scene. (Notice the garbage bag hanging from the easel. I believe as a nature artist that we should leave the scene as clean as when we arrived.)
Here's aother shot of my set-up showing my palette. I use the wooden palette that came with my Jullian easel.
Next is a close-up view of my palette:
I used a limited color palette for this painting to help me achieve a natural color harmony. I am using M. Graham Walnut Oil paints. My colors are (left to right): Quick-Dry Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Blue. ( I sometimes use Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Sienna or Transparent Red Oxide as well). My medium in the small Holbein dipper cup is Liquin. For cleaning brushes, my hanging brushwasher is filled with Gamsol. I am using # 6-8 flat Blick Masterstroke Hog's Hair bristle brushes for this painting, but I have also been seen with Robbert Simmons Signets and Silver Brush flats. Once in a while I'll get out Langnickell 5590 mongoose flats, but lately I have been favoring the stiffer bristle brushes. Also shown are 2 palette knifes, one a discontinued Holbein SX knife that has a great flexible blade and the other is a Loew-Cornell (a very economical knife). I use the palette knife to create hard edges and textural effects.
This is the first step in this painting, I established the horizon line and with some aliz crimson, ultramarine blue and a tiny touch of yellow, blocked in the major shapes. I don't draw lines when in the initial step of a painting as much as I place the major shapes. I also indicated a bit of the value scheme and have an idea of where my center of interest will be.
In the above picture I have started to block in the major shapes in color. Notice how by greying the line of trees on the far shoreline, there is a sense of recession.
Here I've added the rest of the color and added some detail.
A bit more detail adding accents and highlights and the painting is now complete.
In the above photo the species "plein air painter" is seen in his natural environment wearing the high-fashion paint spattered camouflage short pants.
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