Wildwood Boardwalk Painting...Simplify with Shapes

'Season's End'            5x7         pastel              ©Karen Margulis

It's just a shape!  That was the advice Terry Ludwig gave at a workshop I attended a few years ago.  I had said that I couldn't paint buildings or people. He reminded us that everything is just a shape. It is advice that I try to remember when ever I am faced with a complicated subject.

Like this boardwalk scene. In the reference photo it was a jumble of buildings and colorful signs. Painting them realistically would have been a challenge. I would have to measure and get an accurate drawing. But I wanted an impression of the boardwalk....a feeling of quiet sunset at the end of the season when the tourists have gone home. I didn't need to spell out all of the details for that. So I chose a limited palette and simplified the jumble of stuff into shapes. I tried to use the most simple marks to represent  the signs and buildings.

Here is my Tip of the Day:
If you have trouble seeing the buildings as simple shapes try to blur your photo which takes away all of the smaller details. Any photo program will allow you to posterize or blur your photos. Block in the painting while looking at the blurred version and it will be easier to simplify!