Dense Fog at Little Corona

Last week I went painting down at Little Corona Del Mar.  The fog created beautiful effects and atmospheric perspective.  The challenge of painting the light as it is changing is at times difficult; but trying to start and finish a fog painting is crazy!  By the time I had walked up to my car and get my painting set up the fog had already burned off to a significant extent.  I really like this composition.  I have never painted the effects of fog.  I think this has the potential to be a really great painting.  My oil painting has really improved in the last month so I am going to do a pretty large studio painting of this subject.  I am going to try and take my time to capture all of the subtle aspects.  I am not sure yet how I will handle the diffusion of light along the edge of the cliffs.  The transition from the blue by the top to the gray lavender at the bottom will be a challenge.

Painting in Corona Del Mar

The morning was so foggy it was hard to see any detail.  The fog burned off, the wedding was over and done, and the sun lit up the rocks.



I brought a blue ground panel with me after I came down and scouted around while taking some reference photos.  I had made a couple of orange pumice gel panels that I was thinking of using but the fog seemed to thick to use them.

I had to limit my subject because there were so many choices.  The shape of my panel changed my choices.  The intensity of the light on the rocks enhanced the atmospheric perspective when compared to the graying caused by the haze burning off in the distance.

Painting in the hills of Corona

I got out to the hills to paint around 10am. The hills were backlit and the temperature was climbing fast.  I was painting on masonite with pumice gel and acrylic paint.

This is my initial sketch that I worked from.

I really liked the feeling of light that came through in the painting.  However, I was not happy with the composition.  I did not feel like I got enough of the hills in.  I decided at this point I will do a quick sketch to solidify my composition.  I liked the size of the hills but not the way they were set upon the surface.

Plein Air Coal Canyon

I parked and walked into Coal Canyon State Park.  It was 2 miles to get to my spot.  The weather was still hot.  It got up to about 100.

I really like this location because of the atmospheric perspective.  I also like the rhythm of the hills in the background at this location.  I also like the patterns and color of the sage and buckwheat in the foreground.

I brought my new carbon fiber tripod which is very easy to use and some new Terry Ludwig pastels which I have not had a chance to work into my Heilman box.  My surface is a 24"X36" piece of masonite with Golden Pumice Gel and acrylic paint.

Plein Air Coal Canyon

One of my biggest opportunities with my set up is the amount of stuff I bring to paint.  These extra boxes of pastels are difficult to carry around-so I will merge them into my pastel box.  After a year of painting with these sticks in my box I am going to change up the mix in my box. 

I have started using a preliminary sketch before starting my painting.  In the past my composition has been a bit of a crap shoot-in that I have not brought all of the elements of the subject into the painting. 

Plein Air Coal Canyon

Plein Air Coal Canyon

The Elements of Drawing

This is the newest art book in my collection.  The Elements of Drawing by Ruskin.  I think this is a first edition from 1865.  I am excited to get started on this one but I have to finish The Elements of Compostion by Payne.