Even on Gray Days

I’ve heard artists say things like, “I won’t paint today, the light isn’t good.”  They prefer to have shadows cast under a brilliant sunny blue sky. I have always wanted to draw no matter the weather. No matter how gray. No matter the fog. No matter the chill. Fridays have been lovely to venture downtown and draw here in Kernersville. We had been camping out at the Ciener Botanical Gardens for several weeks. Blue skies or gray! Just last week, our cold fingers and toes chased us indoors! (more coming soon about our new indoor drawing locale downtown Kernersville!)

The thing I don’t get about artists who always need sunny days with strong shadows, is that these gray days seem to heighten the color around you.  Artists know that a grayed background, or surrounding area, causes the main subject’s colors to sing! This was certainly true as I looked at the beautiful roadside profusion along the Gardens’ wall.

The only thing that gets a little interesting on foggy mist-laden days, is that watercolors don’t dry very quickly…or really at all. This one was swimming in color for a long time. I eventually put it in the back of my car to “dry” while I drew in another sketchbook.

It’s always good to have more than one sketchbook going when you’re out drawing. That way you don’t have to stop drawing to wait for paint to dry.

I sat across the street from the entrance to the Gardens to attempt this one. It was really too much to take in…all the gorgeous purples and magentas growing along the border. I often call colors “delicious”.  These were positively scrumptious!

0 thoughts on “Even on Gray Days

  1. broworkshop sketching says:

    I strongly agree with you. I agree that some light situation are better than other, but no matter what the weather is or the light is going: what matters is the feeling of that moment and to sketch&draw!
    Cheers!

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