another black and white

One compositional faux pas artists make is not having a real focal point (or not sticking to it). Whether en plein air or using photographic reference, the draw of more continues to mean less. When the viewer looks at your work it should be clear what interested you when you decided to paint.
If you get drawn into another delicious spot while working, tell yourself that you need to save it for the next painting. Two divas fighting will never work.

remember your focal point

16x20 oil
Sometimes I really wonder about myself. I say things, yet I don't do them myself. This painting  was missing a strong focal point. It was too amorphous; nothing to hold your eye. Nothing present to tell you how to travel through the picture plane.. Hopefully I changed all that. I am satisfied, for now. Below  is the painting before my final decisions and glazing.

orchestrating the focal point

The "rule of thirds" is a great tool to use for planning your focal point. Divide your paper/canvas into 3 equal spaces. The 4  points where the lines cross are the sweet spots. Choose one and plan the focal point there. (Square formats are slightly different, because of the nature of their even-ness.) I chose the upper right sweet spot.

Here is the underpainting. The focus was neutral- greyed.

After you have planned where the focal point is you have to remember to put the juicy stuff there. I always start by making my lightest and darkest mark. (for this one I tried to keep it 2 values lighter than it was.) I move around a lot while painting, but in the beginning I spend more time in the focal point. Everything needs to relate to the focal point and make movement to lead to it.

 I must admit I am not happy with this painting. I wanted that summer haze- lazy feeling, but I think I became wrapped up in "it." Funny while I was painting I knew it was happening, but I didn't stop myself!
No sense perseverating. I painted this yesterday... so thankfully today I have another chance, both outdoors and in the studio.

PS I just redid this one (top), wiped it down with OMS and just went for it. better? no...go on to something else ;-)