Colorado Street Bridge Demonstration

I gave a demonstration for the California Art League in Tarzana last night. It was well-attended and the food was spectacular. Video Vic filmed everything. I painted the Colorado Street Bridge using pencil, fine point pen, and water-soluble felt tip for the drawing, and bright splashy color to suggest a fall day in the Arroyo.

Reworking More Paintings

Lately I have been going through my stack of previously done paintings and reworking them in the studio. I have been adding gouache, pastel and colored pencil as needed to enhance and add energy to paintings that I feel were still lacking. Here are a few examples.

The top sketch is of the Athenaeum at Caltech; the middle one is a view from under the Colorado Street Bridge; and the bottom one is a of a collection of cottages at Crystal Cove.

The Colorado Street Bridge

Here are some studies and some final versions of the Colorado Street Bridge. I experimented with gouache on the third sketch.

Colorado Street Bridge, June 2012

Mood Sketches

These sketches were done from photo reference for the purpose of exploring different moods, lighting conditions and feelings. The original photographs were taken in the middle of the day, when the light is very ordinary. After blocking out the shapes and line work with pencil and pen, I experimented with different colors to suggest early morning sun and moon light. Working small, in a sketchbook, allows me to be bold with color and not be concerned with detail, or making a final perfect painting.

Using Quick Studies to Design a Painting

This series of images shows the process I sometimes use in developing the composition and values for a painting. I like to have a strong value pattern of lights and darks, and preparing these small studies helps me keep on track as I work on the final painting. When I am unsure of where to go next (or what color/value to use), I consult the sketch.

I usually start small with a pencil thumbnail sketch to block out the big shapes and values, then proceed to a small color version, sometimes using pen and ink. From there I prepare a larger version, usually in color. I begin to familiarize myself with the subject and note any details I want to add. After all of this preliminary work, I tackle the final version.

Even though I have theoretically resolved everything, I still leave a lot of room for change and for the "painting to work itself out on the paper" as Robert E. Wood said.