Sky Workshop Today! Mini Review and Book Recommendation

'Approaching'        16x16       pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $195

It was a great day. It was wonderful to welcome a talented group of artists into my studio today for a workshop. We all had our head in the clouds as we painted skies all day.  Everyone was so productive and created some amazing sky painting. As always I enjoyed sharing my ideas.

I began with rapid fire demos covering 10 of my favorite sky tips. One of my tips is to take time to learn more about the sky and be sensitive to it. Having a basic understanding of the science of the sky helps us to paint more authentic skies. It is especially important when we try to interpret bad reference photos. Having knowledge and direct observation is critical.  

During the workshop, I recommended one of my favorite go-to landscape books. "Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting" by John F. Carlson. Carlson talks about painting the sky and the graduation of color. (see my chart in the photo below) and he also has an  chapter devoted to clouds. It is a must have book for the landscape painter.

Ready to share!

After lunch the artists voted on the subject for my second demo. They selected a beach with a stormy sky. They were drawn to the contrast and drama. Of course this scene didn't follow any so called 'rules' but it was still a good lesson in designing a sky to work with the land.

I enjoyed a day of sharing with a fun group of artists and look forward to my next workshop!

NOTE: I am finalizing my workshop schedule for 2017. If you know of a good location or would like me to come to your area, send me an email.karenmargulis@gmail.com