I have just returned from the Plein Air Conference and Expo (PACE 16) in Tucson Arizona! And what a wonderful experience it was. I will be creating a few posts on this experience I am sure. There was so much to do and to take in.
I met up with a few friends there Jane Hagen Freeman and Marilyn Wear. Marilyn was a prize winner – was so exciting to be there to see her win! We attended many daily sessions for interest and to help us hone our plein air skills. I also met up with Poppy Balser from Nova Scotia!
It was so hot there that my watercolours kept drying on the palette before I could get the paint to paper. I persevered and managed to complete three sketches. One of the most important lessons was the importance of first completing a value sketch to help plan your work. We herd this a lot and frankly, you cannot hear it enough if you do not do this step.
I dod not keep all my value sketches for some reason as I quite liked them. Below are a few of the ones that made it safely home. The sketch on the bottom was be being distracted in one of the sessions – I love to sketch groups of people.
And we got to visit with some pretty amazing artists
Love your plein air watercolours – especially the cacti. So are you supposed to paint over top of your value sketch or just do it first to understand the values, then start over in watercolour?
Thanks Jenn
You do the value sketch first and keep it for a reference – as outside the light changes quickly. Work with no more than four vlaues
I enjoyed readingg this
Thank you