Lost Darks

I plan on returning to edges and edge making shortly.  First I thought you might enjoy seeing the following painting.  It was done outside in the rain on a grey day.  Enough for the book of excuses (You should hear my latest favourite from Randi).

So here is what I managed in the rain.  I had lost the darks (Harold always said to establish the darks - especially the greens - it takes a lot of paint to go verso).

Darks Lost, 10x12, Oil on Board

What to do?  This painting dried before I got to it.  Weddings and all.  So, I oiled-in the painting to give it the feel and look of the painting done on site - wet in wet.  I have talked about oiling-in before.  Then I proceeded to paint wet on wet reestablishing the darks from memory and my thumbnail sketch.  I did this before doing anything else.

Lost Darks Restored, 10x12, Oil on Board

The new darks are pretty much just blobs of paint.  They are of a tone in keeping with the depth of the image.  Warmer as they come forward.  This set up the skeleton on which to hang further painting as needed.

Darks Lost, 10x12, Oil on Board

Now remember, this was a grey day.  In the interior with little reference to the long distance the colours are robust since the intense light of the sun does not bleach them out.  On a day full of atmosphere one can paint from saturated colours by setting up for a close picture box - something like doing a still life.