Cape Cod - Dunes and Pines in process

Cape Cod - Dunes and Pine

Charcoal on Paper

Cape Cod - Dunes and Pine in Process

This subject was from our trip to Cape Cod last summer (2018).  The sun was very low so that the near dune was completely in shadow, only the top of the pine was illuminated as well as the far dune.  This is another example for me of the benefits of painting on location.  This was an effect on a brilliant sunny day that lasted for probably 10-15 minutes.  I would not have imagined this scene with the back dune illuminated - but there it was.  It was such a striking contrast.

On the right are half a sheet of small sketches done on location at the Cape.   I then did the large colored pencil sketch the top.  I don't work with colored pencil often, but decided to shake things up a bit and do some experimenting.

The small pen and ink sketch was a composition sketch resulting from a feeling from the other sketches and wondering if the background dunes closed the picture in too much.  I then began to work on the large charcoal sketch to further work out the composition.

Eventually I will complete a watercolor and or acrylic of the subject.

There really isn't one way I approach a picture.  Sometimes I work from pencil to charcoal to watercolor to oil.  At other times, I work from watercolor to charcoal.  It just depends on what I'm trying to express and at other times - what I have at hand. 

Every artist develops their own shorthand I'm sure.  I've seen studies by some of my favorites including John Stobart that made zero sense to me, but they weren't for me or even for public consumption.   I also find the process of doing preliminaries is very freeing, and sometimes wonderful things happen that wouldn't have if I had feared to "color outside the lines"