Some recent plein-air paintings done with my mini sketch set (> v <).
Their size is only about 60✖️80mm , very small, allowing me to paint as quickly as possible during this cold weather.
Additionally, I've noticed that each country seems to have a distinct color palette. For example, compared to Europe, China's palette tends to feature more nuanced greys, especailly for the sky here! Mastering the use of these greys is truly challenging, and I'm still exploring how to do it well...
#gouache #pleinair #pleinairpainting #sketch #colorstudy
A 45-minute plein-air gouache sketch. Perhaps it's the one that has given me the most to think about since I started experimenting with gouache this past month? Ever since I began using gouache, my biggest challenge has been figuring out how to depict objects glowing under natural light. I used to try increasing the brightness by adding white paint, but this always dulled the colors. In reality, though, objects under natural light maintain high saturation unless they’re overexposed. So, this issue has been troubling me…
Until I started working on this piece.
That day, it was freezing, especially as the sun began to set just as I started painting. I was so cold but pushed through, sitting in the chill to finish. To speed up, I ended up using a lot of water in the paint, making it flow like watercolor—and then, magic happened. The lit areas of the painting naturally started to glow and maintained their saturation!
See, the solution was actually quite simple.
Outdoor painting is full of uncertainties and surprises.
By the way, I caught a cold afterward.🤧
#pleinair #pleinairpainting #gouache #sketch #colorstudy