How to Paint Moody Days

Bodega Grasses (c) Mary Hubley 2014

Painting A Misty Day in Bodega Bay

Plein air painting is best when the air temperature is perfect, there is no rain, and there are no bugs. Comfortable artists are happy artists. A perfect day in Bodega Bay, California. I set up shop at the edge of the campground. I liked the sun on the hills in the background and a cheerful cerulean blue sky.

That was over fast.

Mist set in, clouds appeared. and we got some rain. Oh well.

So how do you paint a moody day?

Go with the flow. If the day turns gloomy, you could pack up and go home, but I love to challenge myself when scenery changes.

• Change your painting on the fly. If it clouds up, great! Just adjust. I wiped off the original blue sky in my painting, and started the sky again in a brownish-gray.
• To make the background misty, just use a soft, dry brush to smooth the edges. Use delicate strokes, as if the brush were a feather.
• Don't be afraid of gray! Moody paintings need a good bit of it. I was taught that gray and brown are muddy colors, and should be avoided. To the contrary, I've found that great artists use well-mixed browns and grays to tone down some areas. These so-called "muddy" colors give the painting room to breathe, and make the more vivid areas come alive.
• Moody doesn't mean boring. In this painting, the trees and the grasses are hinting that there might be a little wind involved.

Genre: Landscape
Painting Name: Bodega Grasses
Size: 7" x 5"
Media: Oil on Canvas




--Mary Hubley
www.maryhubley.com