Oil Sketch in Central Park

[DanaT]

Since I've had NO time to paint, I've been psyching myself up for doing a pleine aire class in Central Park this summer.

Here is the second oil sketch from last summer's class. It's only my second oil as you can tell. ;) Specially because the whites you see are really the whites of the canvas and not white paint. I was saving my whites like I do in watercolor. I guess old habits die hard!

I used the palette knife a lot and no medium (still don't know how to use it without making a mess!)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-May-2002/2ndOilSketch.jpg

[walden]

Nice composition, good movement. I also started with watercolor, and one thing I still struggle with in oils is using enough paint-- my inclination is to put out only as much as I would use in watercolors, and then not use all of that. But, although some oil painters do paint the whole canvas thinly, my work looks better when I combine a few thin, transparent areas (usually darks, but sometimes middle values, especially in water), with more passages of thicker paint.

Good luck with your workshop-- I took a plein air workshop that was both tremendous fun and a great help to me. :)

[DanaT]

Thanks, Lisa, for the tip. Although I didn't use any thinner or medium, I scraped the canvas pretty good with the palette knife so the layers are pretty thin in places.

I'd like to get more comfortable using medium. I think I'm going to try the ragging in technique Larry talks about and see what happens.

[Ruth]

Larry's ragging-in technique is a wonderful thing. I've been using it and I'm so glad he shared it. Please try it and show us the results. I think you'll love it. It's a great way to cover up that white canvas and establish your lights and darks.

Ruth

[DanaT]

Thanks Ruth. Will do as soon as my class starts again in Central Park this June. Can't wait to get out there. I'm tired of doing naked bodies. ;)