Plein air - first session

[Robert]

16x12 oil on masonite

This isn't finished. I started it yesterday afternoon and will try to get back out Wednesday afternoon to work on it some more. It's a street corner in Manayunk, near where I live.

I used thinned paint to block in the shapes and approximate colors, then thickened up some of the colors and shapes I was satisified with. When I go back I'll work some more on the fore and middleground - and finish drawing the tree branches against the sky. There's a slight lean in the foreground house. It might be handy to drop plumb lines when doing structures in the future - or at least bring along a mirror.

Anyway, when all's done I expect I'll have five or six hours in this.

Bob

[CarlyHardy]

Really nice start with this, Robert. Simplifying the shapes gives a strong composition to work from. I wouldn't think you'd need much more detail to call this one finished!!carly

[llis]

cool composition Robert. It's going to be a great painting.

[oramasha]

What are "plumb lines"?

[Robert]

Oramasha, a plumb line is just a string with a weight on it. You can use an ordinary string and tie a washer to the end of it and suspend the string from the top of your canvas to get a true vertical line - or judge the width of a curved space. I'm not good at getting verticals so I've thought about rigging one up. Some people, probably most painters, are good at judging lines by just siting them off the edge of the canvas. Not me, though, so I'm considering things that might help me a little.

A Mirror might help, too. Some people carry a pocket mirror with them and check their compositions by looking at the reflection in the mirror. DaVinci did that, so I guess it's "OK".

Bob

[oramasha]

Robert,

Thanks for explaining what a "plumb line" was. To be honest, I was so drawn to the colors, I didn't notice the slant of your building (until you mentioned it). Maybe your building is in San Francisco. . .?? Have fun w/ it! (If it weren't a "serious" project wouldn't it be funny to just skew everything?!)

(I have a feeling I"m the only one laughing at myself.)

[LarrySeiler]

really like the subdued somber mood of the foreground building in shadow....nice presence and feel to this piece...

Larry

[Robert]

Thanks for looking, y'all. Here's yesterday afternoon's effort. A few changes - this was a good learner. Now I'm hooked on structure - seems to be more of it around here than wide open spaces.

Bob

[Yax]

Nice work Robert. Your composition is outstanding. Yax