A Painting Exercise for Plein Air Painters > To ensure she regularly paints from direct observation, Lyn Asselta paints an early morning sky study nearly every day from one of her studio windows. Done on small, leftover scraps of paper she keeps handy, and using just a few pastels, she keeps it simple and quick. She reflects:
Sky Study 1
“Looking east just before sunrise there was a beautiful, pale progression, and because it had rained, everything below looked dark, with just a few lights on.”
Sky Study 2
“It was a beautiful dawn, and I had to work very quickly to catch it. That’s where small formats make a big difference.”
Sky Study 3
“I spent a few extra minutes on this one because the clouds were intricate and close in value. I wanted to try to keep it simple and not overwork it.”
Sky Study 4
“This exercise has really helped to get me thinking about the sky as a subject itself, rather than just an element behind the subject.”
The editorial above is part of a series that spotlights the work of an accomplished plein air artist featured in PleinAir magazine. Read the full article in the June/July 2018 issue.
Published bi-monthly, PleinAir magazine is focused on landscape paintings by historical and contemporary artists, art collections, events, and the process of creating plein air paintings. Beautifully designed with rich reproductions on high-quality paper, PleinAir features the top artists and artworks from around the world. Start your subscription here.
Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
