Plein air paintings (those done
outdoors from life) are my classroom. I
believe I am
successful painting from my photographs because I have also painted on
location.
Seeing is important -- and the seeing of the real colors is very important. Photography is a wonderful tool, but as a painter I know the values shown in a photograph are not necessarily the correct ones and the colors cannot be all the colors that the eye can see! Please realize that plein air paintings are somewhat looser in style than a work done in the studio with all the time in the world to capture the effect the artist wishes to convey. Plein air must be done under a time restraint of the sun moving and all the light and shadow changes that occur during the day! Studies are just as the word suggests, usually done in a shorter amount of time -- or could be called sketches. And sometimes I might put drawings here.
Seeing is important -- and the seeing of the real colors is very important. Photography is a wonderful tool, but as a painter I know the values shown in a photograph are not necessarily the correct ones and the colors cannot be all the colors that the eye can see! Please realize that plein air paintings are somewhat looser in style than a work done in the studio with all the time in the world to capture the effect the artist wishes to convey. Plein air must be done under a time restraint of the sun moving and all the light and shadow changes that occur during the day! Studies are just as the word suggests, usually done in a shorter amount of time -- or could be called sketches. And sometimes I might put drawings here.
