Full Day at Divers Cove

I beat many of the beach goers and found a spot without a parking meter.  The seascape was going to change dramatically by the time I would finish.  A lot of plein air painters are worried about the changing conditions.  Because I paint larger, I have to think around this issue.  When I am doing my build up, I am not worried about what will happen with the sun.

A quick composition sketch gets me warmed up and helps me fit my subject into the surface.  I have been painting with these 24x32 panels for over a year now.  I am going to go back to a more traditional size panel in the near future.  I really like the 24x36 format.  Now that I am a little more confident in my ability to finish, I am going to get back to this size.

My initial block in started.  They say to squint a lot.  This is my cameras version of squinting.

These shapes are very simplified.  This really speeds up the start of the painting.  I am not simplifying anywhere near what other painters advocate.  This is a big step for me.  I have implied a division of shapes through the colors within the shapes.

The unpainted areas of the painting represent the lightest values within the painting.

The process of adding more detail through the division of the large shapes continues from this point till the end.

Defining the edges of the large shapes and getting further definition of the values within the shapes.  I do not work from dark to light exclusively.  

Making sure to develop all parts of the painting insures that value and color balance is maintained.  No plein air painting is really finished.  There is only a question of how far I can get with the amount of time I have.  I guess I could always come back or work to complete them in the studio, but that is just not my thing.

Further division and definition refine shape, color, and value.

Getting close to the end...

Then the sun comes out and hits the board I am painting on and everything has changed.

The thoughts about the final details have to change and I will chase the light.  Everyone recommends that you should never do that.  However, to me, a sunny day is much more exciting than a overcast one.

Evaluating my progress from some distance.  I want my painting to be interesting up close and far away.

This awesome octopus sculpture was added and a new bench a couple of days before.

The last touches for the painting were to focus on the color of the sky.

The finished painting 24x32 plein air oil on board.

The value shape

The detail shot.