See it: You must look beyond the beautiful elements and penetrate to the essence of the subject. Color and Value relationships between these elements are the foundation of your work. And you must translate a three dimensional world onto a two dimensional surface.
Simplify it: Keep the essential and eliminate the unnecessary. If you cram everything out there onto the canvas it will be chaotic and confusing. Decide what attracted you to the scene to begin with and emphasize that. Anything that doesn't support and enhance your idea can be eliminated. Here's where preliminary sketches are a help. Work out your ideas in a thumbnail sketch and you save a lot of time and paint.
State it: Millard Sheets said, "Don't search with your brush. State it!". Decisions must be made all the time, but once decided, proceed with confidence. "State it" combines visual perception with technique. And because of the time factor in plein air painting, say it with as few strokes as possible.
I enjoy seeing the progression of the painting as an artist works, so here's something I just finished photographed at the halfway point and after finished.
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| Halfway through - this is painted on top of another, failed painting (I am ever frugal). |
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| Finished painting - "Autumn Fields" 11 x 14 |
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