Description

John Cosby – Oil Painting
A Simple Way of Locking Down the Light

When painting on location one of the problems we face is establishing a light and shadow balance quickly. If you can get the design down you can adjust the shapes to guide the eye to your area of interest. For this demonstration my intention is to show you how I approach locking down the light effect with a Notan style underpainting in a neutral value.

This neutral value is put down in the first 10 minutes and establishes both the shadow and light pattern on the canvas. This start will not only aid you in locking down the light effect but set you up for the color and value needed to finish out the effect you intended. I will then show you how I complete the painting with edge adjustment, color harmony and details.