Spring Gales

Plein air painting of Puget Sound

Spring Gales. 9x12, oil on linen panel. 2016

Working outside this morning took more fortitude than usual: 30mph winds make for a challenging environment. I tied everything down and stood in the shelter of a sad-looking bush that grows at the end of the beach.

Despite all that, it was enjoyable to have such an interesting sky to work with. Everything was moving quickly so I did a fast block-in with thin paint to help capture the look of the clouds.

One important thing that I've learned over the winter is that I can tend to make the sky too light overall. I deliberately made the underside of the clouds and the darks at the horizon about two values lighter than I usually would. By doing that I better able to get a feel of light in the tops of the clouds.


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