ArtSpeaks Studio Moments address painting issues, particularly in watercolor. This time, as a change of pace, we describe the process of painting a city high rise on location. Painting on location is tricky because you need to take everything you need with you and set up in a secure, reasonably comfortable location. In my case, I don’t like to be in a high traffic areas, and I need to be somewhere out of the sun for the entire time I will be painting. 

Some people just do sketches on location, but I like to do a completed painting, even if it is smaller than my usual work. I don’t paint en plein air very often, but when I do it is about the experience of being forced to think on my feet and adapt to the circumstances as they arise. I don’t plan to use these paintings as studies for other works—if they come out, they will be finished works in their own right. 

As my subject, I selected the Chase Bank Building in Corsicana, Texas built in 1926. I was attracted to the shapes of the architecture and decided to paint the top few floors with the roofline. I decided to push the building color  orange to have it complement the blue sky. Because the weather reported that it would be a windy day, I parked my car where I could see my subject easily and paint in the car. I set up with my pallet, water, brushes and some drinks in the car and put my painting board and paper on my lap. 

First I did a drawing of the building on my watercolor paper and then I roughed in the building and the sky to build the general shapes and include some texture. Then it was just a process of resolving different areas of the painting as I went along. 

My goal with this painting was to have it be loosely finished and more resolved at the focal point and less resolved as the eye moves away from it. I don’t generally paint this loosely and wanted to experiment with that. 

When I finished the painting, I was pleased with the overall look and I thought the color choices were good. I like the windows and the suggestions of architectural forms on the sides. I am unhappy that some of the proportions aren’t accurate and in some places the painting looks very tentative. Overall, I was pleased that I finished the painting in a few hours and it looks reasonably competent. That is the thing with doing things outside of your comfort zone, whether you succeed of fail, you will learn a lot about yourself and your work. 

I encourage you to take chances in your own artmaking. It is sure to keep you fresh, challenge your preconceptions, and it may even lead to breakthroughs.

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