TheArtistApril2016__

24

Take focus

You need to focus on understanding

the main idea: the big shapes, overall

composition, colour, perspective and

light, depending on what you see as

important in your chosen scene. Set a

timer for five minutes, turn to your

scene and observe. Five minutes will

feel like an eternity. Here is how to use

that time:

Squint your eyes and take note of

the lightest lights and darkest darks.

Look for the largest overall shapes.

Decide how you will frame your

composition.

Look for the longest lines of your

composition and even trace them with

your finger to memorise them.

What are the predominant colours?

Is there a contrast in light and dark

or warm and cool?

Is there atmospheric perspective?

When your observation time is over,

set your timer for 20 minutes, face away

from your scene and begin to paint.

When the 20 minutes are up, put down

your brushes and set your timer again.

Give yourself at least three minutes, if

not five, and turn to your scene to

observe. This time look for the smaller

shapes inside the bigger shapes.

What did you not remember when

you went to your easel to paint?

Take some comparative

measurements with your hands or with

a brush if needed.

Take note of the lights, darks and

the middle tones.

Don’t try to remember everything, just

big shapes and relationships, the main

idea or whatever sticks in your mind.

There is no right way to do this and no

right thing to remember. Then turn back

to your easel and set your timer for

another 20 minutes. Go back to your

painting and refine the shapes, painting

in light and dark shapes and any other

overall compositional elements you

artistApril 2016 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

STAGE TWO

Here is my painting after the first 20 minutes. I have roughly blocked in the darker large

shapes and begun to put in the lights of the ground. I had yet to decide and commit to the

shapes of the background and made a mental note to observe those next

STAGE THREE

I put in the brightest light to compare the

tones and began to see the overall shapes in

my painting

STAGE FOUR

I filled in the shape of the sky, to give the full idea of the overall big

shapes, tonal structure and composition

STAGE FIVE

I added more detail and firmed up overall shapes

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