Plymouth Harbor

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 1

Autumn is a popular time for travel to New England, and judging by today's scene in Plymouth, this year is no different.   Busses full of visitors unloaded and the glorious weather allowed locals and tourists alike to enjoy the waterfront.

It started out quite cool and breezy, and I had to rethink where I set up.   I moved to a spot where there was a boulder and some shrubs that blocked the wind.   In my viewfinder, there were multiple interesting planes looking east from the furthest shoreline (Duxbury), to mid-distance (Clark Island and Long Beach) and closer (Plymouth Jetty).

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 2

I marked where the three boats I planned on including would be placed.    The closest boat was a sharp looking white boat with dual outboard motors.   The next was a smaller pleasure boat equipped with fishing gear.  The furthest of the trio was a green lobster boat.

The sky was pale blue, a strong contrast with the deep blue of the harbor and outer bay.   A realistic use of blue can really distinguish a painting.   Blue out of the tube is seldom, if ever, a perfect match.   I like to start with some cobalt and ultramarine blue for deep blue color water like today's scheme.   I got a generous amount on my palette knife or brush, then held it up to compare against the water's color.   I gradually added a transparent brown oxide to the blue combo until the color on my brush was a good match. I am always surprised at how grey the color becomes before it is close in color to the blue water in front of me.    I started with a darker value than the actual value.   That was because when I topped off the water's ripples with a scumble, I could use a lighter blue over it for better choppy texture and contrast.

Plymouth Harbor - Stage 3

Finally, I squinted at the many boats that were moored along the harbor toward the jetty.   My squinting at it reduced the detail to a random series of white marks which I attempted to reproduce in front of my painting's jetty.

So here is the effort so far.   Before I put it on my website, I will let it sit for a few days.   It may be a little too gray.