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Finishing Off Plein Air Paintings

And, then, you have to get back. Once in your studio, if any of you are like me, the problems begin. The painting goes back on the easel, a little tweak here, and a little tweak there. Before you know it, you have plucked the painting to death!

I want to share with you a very simple process that can help you finish off your plein air paintings.

The problem was that the painting didn't convey either the bright light or the depth as I remember it.

This is totally abstract, but it reminded me of the problem I wanted to solve. The land mass swings around and disappears in the distance, and there is a bright dot at the bend.

In one way, there is nothing simpler than drawing "out loud".

Keeping to the same size, 2x3", I used the original painting as a model and copied it in charcoal, keeping in mind the bright light and the whip of land.

Since the sketch is so small, it is rather effortless to make little spontaneous changes and to see how they look. To make my space thing work, I had to yank hard with my darks on the bushes, which swung them forward. This intensified the spatial difference between the foreground and  the background.

Newberry, Cape Canaveral, 2007, oil on panel, 12 x 16 inches

Using the charcoal thumbnail as a guide, I went back into the painting with enthusiasm. This is the finished work. The bushes and dirt road are dramatically darker. Consequently, with minimal touches the sky got brighter, and yet, I could still hammer the brilliant reflection.

The bushes here are totally pedestrian, and the sand looks like it was pasted on by a blind person.

I couldn't throw away the piece because I loved the sky so much. Keeping that in mind, I went at it with my thumbs.

I simply made the foreground darker and gave two highlights; one to the clouds and one on the water.

A pastel thumbnail on black paper.

Newberry, Cape Canaveral 2, 2007, oil on panel, 12 x 16 inches

A note of warning: Even though the thumbs are so simple, quick, and easy to do, I found that they took a lot of discipline. I think we, as artists, really enjoy playing on the real painting. But remember this process, especially after you kill a painting or two without it!

Enjoy the process.

Oh! One last comment: I am sure that by the personal way you resolve your thumbnails you will strengthen your unique style.

I hope you enjoyed seeing thumbs in a new light.

Michael Newberry
New York, October, 2007