Lower Yosemite falls, plein air sketch
yosemite15, web
FRANK EBER: A PAINTER'S BLOG
Fine Art Painting
Lower Yosemite falls, plein air sketch
FRANK EBER: A PAINTER'S BLOG 
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and terrific plein air work. After a number of years of only sketching small with watercolors and doing all my larger works in oil I’m feeling an urge to get back to working large en plein air again withwatercolors. Because it has been so long I’ve felt totally discombobbled the two times I’ve attempted to work large on site resulting in my being too cautious and hesitant in laying in values. The results have been visual boredom and nothing I’d share with others. I’m curious, do you, when starting a larger painting outdoors, lay in some of your darkest dark to help key the painting? It seems to me that this would help. Anything you can comment on establishing good value registration would be appreciated. I’m also most likely rushing it as I’m used to finishing my plein air oils in a short period of time due to light changes. It sounds as though this isn’t a concern for you?
It’s next to impossible to describe how to paint the first washes. You’d have to see it. I can tell you that I don’t put darks first but that comes from a lot of experience painting outdoors. You said it yourself: It’s been so long since you did it and you attempted it twice. Let me ask you this: if you never run and then try to run a marathon cold, how well would it go?
It is all the hard work I have put into this for years and years, making all the mistakes over and over until painting right becomes second nature. Yes, changing light is a big concern and sometimes when it’s cold it is a big issue because of the long waiting time between washes. Luckily, it was an overcast day so the change in light wasn’t as drastic!
Thank you for your visit to my blog!