Painting Cows - Before Milking Time

What to focus on first?

A lovely see-through, though the clouds were fast-moving, it was grey from time to time, creating light effects on the land. If you see the images in this blog post, you can see the cows going home way too early.

So yes, if you're starting in the late afternoon, never wait to paint the cows. Get those in pretttty early in the process.

Then, might they leave you at least have some shapes already in.

I think 'cows' in itself can really prove the point 'Less being more'. You don't need all details to get a good painting. You do need a good use of Color & Light to create something that can fascinate. For this to work, it's good to keep an eye on the total at all times. Often we forget to 'zoom out' to take a break, to take steps away from the easel, evaluating the total. For me, it's then about the rhythm of strokes and colors.

LSU03-2019-2019 Seascape Plein air Painting 'Cows, Path & Trees'

Roos Schuring, oil on canvas, 24 × 30 cm | 9.6″ x 11.8″ Available
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Palette at the beginning

First shapes, cows still there

Had to move the easel, cows going for their evening milking time :(

It's important to get the 'parts that move' in first. In this case: the cows.

Also the sun, sunlight on grass might be disappearing, focus on these things more in the beginning.

I could weave the sky and trees together and finish the painting after the cows had left.

Outdoor painting is also about adjusting. Things will always 'get interference', but the end-results will get that liveliness in outdoors. The end-results matter and that should always remind you why 'the discomforts' are so very worth it. It's not about making a perfect copy of Nature or a photo, for me it's about 'exercising the paint' and capturing moments of color and light.😀

View the full-length outdoor painting demo
'A Landscape with Cows'
The full A-Z process and commentary by Roos Schuring.

Find this demo here