I think my shadows have been overly dark lately, so I’ve been seeking opportunities to “lighten up”. An old reference photo of “China Cove” in Point Lobos did the trick. The photograph was over exposed, so everything was lighter than it would have been otherwise. As I was painting this, the colors in the photo … Read more
We’re having incredible weather this week in San Francisco! I crossed the street yesterday to Buena Visa Park the oldest park in San Francisco on a great hill in the center of the city. I hiked up near the top, where this great view of the bay and neighborhoods below made for a nice light … Read more
Here’s another study of “Lands End” (Golden Hour) I started in my previous post. I created a video of the process, by stringing together still photographs of various stages of the painting. I like this composition. The large tree reflects the strength and gracefulness of the Monterey Cypress, but I’m not sure about my darks…they … Read more
Last Sunday was a beautiful day for walking, and the far western edge of San Francisco (known as “Lands End“) was striking the last hour of the day (“Golden Hour“). A couple of things attracted me to this scene: the light, subject (Monterey Cypress trees, my favorite!) and the shapes made for an interested composition. … Read more
Just south of the art town Carmel lies Big Sur, probably the most majestic meeting of land and sea in California. It’s been painted by many artists over the past 100 years. Unfortunately, it’s also been scared by the recent fires this summer. I don’t know what the area looks like today, and am a … Read more
Sunday was warm, clear and little wind, so a great day to paint the coast. I wandered over to an area I like generally referred to “Lands End” (here’s a Google Maps aerial view). On days with clear sky, you’ll notice that the shadows are quite blue as the sky color reflects directly on shadowed … Read more
This is just a little figure study I did from a photo book. I am looking forward to painting live models in the next few weeks when David returns from Latin America. Painting the figure is by far the best way to learn to draw. I drew the figure a year with charcoal and newsprint … Read more