Autumn Monarch - pre-paint sketches

I have been gone with work and a Wife Birthday trip, so no posts. I did work on this pre-paint sketch done in pencil.  I probably won't use this exact sketch, but I want figure out the best possible set-up for the Bull Elk, so I will play with the pencil before the brush.

Autumn Monarch - more work

I did not like the background of the mountain i last night's post, once I woke up and looked at this this morning.  I remixed the paint and added grey and yet with a cooler and grayer color mix with just a little warm in it.  I then started to work out the foliage for this one.  I have it started and it will need some work to finish.  I will work out my Bull Elk Monarch in pencil sketch separately first before committing it to the canvas.

Autumn Monarch - Block-in

Tonight I started a new painting, one I am calling Autumn Monarch.  This will be a long narrow painting so no sky.  The background is the mountains purple behind fall foliage of gold and crimson.  The Monarch is going to be a Bull Elk. It should be good when I get it all worked out.

Oil Sketch Portrait

As an extension of the practice of pencil sketches of heads, I did this oil sketch of a head.  Basically it is white and black oil and no underlying drawing, all brush work.  This is not bad for the first one, but I can see where it needs improvement.

Winter Sunset - re-worked

I pulled this out of the vault and re-worked it closer to a finish.  I reworked the sky and the snow with shadows.  I did not like how it was originally and that is why it was set aside.  I will redo the tree trunks and then add the branches.

Sunset Snow stream - Block-in

Since it is hot here today, I felt like painting a snow study.  This one is a Snowy Stream while the sun sets so you have a good angle of light to make things interesting.  This is a larger painting but it is a decent start.

Books - Quick Study

Happy Friday, so I did another quick study for tonight's post.  I did this in about an hour and the point is to quickly and accurately(ish) try to capture the colors and shapes without overthinking it and overworking the painting.  No focus on details just practice to get things set for plein air painting.