| Observation
of Nature by Stefan Baumann
 Incoming
Surf, Point Lobos , 2004, oil on canvas,
mounted on board, (8"x12")
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, 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" 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.
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Start
by dedicating a minimum of twenty minutes a day to drawing.
You will be amazed at how fast you will improve. 
Albert
Bierstadt was the greatest living American landscape
painter for a brief period during the 1860’s and 1870’s.
His paintings extracted prices ten times what other artists
bargained for their work. . 
