Observation of Nature
Point Lobos,
incoming surf, 2004
oil on canvas Mounted on board, (4"x12")
by Stefan Baumann
The
duty of a skilled outdoor painter is to be able to capture
the characteristic essence of any given day. The details
of every vista are a moving target for the artist: Some
of these details contribute to the aesthetic of a painting---some
detract. Embracing a vista on location and watching its
physical evolution objectively, will teach you more about
landscape painting in one afternoon, than any studio work
from a photograph.
The sky sets the mood of all landscapes. It provides
the painting's light source, determining placement of
all highlights and shadows. Defying visual logic is one
of the greatest mistakes a landscape painter can make.
Highlights and shadows are motivated by two sources of
illumination: direct beams of light, and their reflection.
Pay close attention to the placement of the primary key
light, and its gradient to shadow. This detail will maintain
the visual logic of your scene, and breath life into your
field work.
In "Incoming Surf" at Point Lobos State Park,
I painted the field sketch on an overcast day. The fog
and clouds served as a diffusion of silk, spreading light
throughout the scene, softening the highlights and brightening
the shadows. The effect of the sun breaking through, spotlights
and motivates my central focal point. As a result, there
are two types of light in my painting: Hard light from
the direct beams and soft light diffused through water
particles.
Remember your visual logic: The key light will come from
the same direction in both the spotlighted area and the
diffused area, but the contrast of that light will be
different. Because of the direct sunbeams, the gradient
of light to dark will have unique characteristics in my
central focal point. In the diffused areas of my painting,
the gradient will be much softer.
Ultimately, I want my central focal point to be just
behind my rock, illuminating the turbulent water. Since
the light source was the sun setting into the horizon,
I painted the rock's cast shadow across the water and
onto the beach. Because the key light was coming from
beyond the rock, the shadow side of the rock (the side
facing me) became a bit too dark. I incorporated a bit
of reflected light from the beach to fill the shadow,
providing this dark area with subtle illumination.
When working on location, one must never forget the lessons
learned in the studio, but must apply them to a subject
that is in constant flux. Students sometimes become overwhelmed
by this dynamic, but once this practice is appreciated,
the artist will find that studio and outdoor painting
become symbiotic: One nurtures and perfects the other.
