Keeping the Light in the Light: Challenge Day 3

"Broken Light" 10x10 study in progress oil on panel

The sky is the source of light in Nature and it governs everything. (John Constable)

OK. Challenge Day 3. Only 27 to go….Whew, even when you love painting it can be a challenge to complete a painting every day. Big kudos to all of you in the 30in30 challenge!

Since it’s OK to post a painting in progress (thank goodness) I got a pretty good start on this 10x10 oil tree/landscape study this morning. As with most of my recent paintings, I painted this from my iPad. I saw this beautiful old cottonwood along the Bear Creek Trail in Lakewood, CO late last spring. My three painting goals today: 

1. Good value organization before getting too wrapped p in the color. 
2. Paint each value group at the same time--So darks, then mediums, then lights. 
3. Keep the lights in the light and the darks in the darks.

If you’re interested in strengthening your compositions through value simplification check out this excellent post by Michigan artist Sharon Tarr regarding notans—or the placement of your darks and lights.