In an earlier post, I mentioned the trick of taking a walk and finding views to paint. The scene above is one of those spots found on a morning walk.
Planning ahead saves time, and you know just what to carry with you. I brought my pochade box, my Strathmore Visual Journal nature journal, paints, water and brushes. The pochade box allows me to work flat, an important trait for watercolor painting.
I took the photo above to use as a reference in case I didn't finish outdoors.
I also used the photo to help me to see the shadows in the scene more clearly. Shadows can have nuanced lighter and darker areas. They can vary from light shadows with dappled spots of light to deep, dark holes. Our eyes are naturally drawn to areas of high contrast, so these are good to incorporate into your paintings to draw the viewer's eye in.
It always amazes me how much I can see in a photo that I didn't see in person. I encourage you to use a photo to help you see the values in your scene, but paint in person so you get the freshness of the landscape.
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