The Value of Studies and Sketches

While I often make small-scale studies and sketches, I rarely use them to create a finished painting. However, this year two different small studies led me to paint this larger, finished canvas. (Click on image to go to painting info.)

Gowanus Canal Near 3rd St, Late Afternoon, oil on canvas, 18” x 24”, 2021

Over the past 20 years, I have painted many views of the Gowanus Canal for a few key reasons: the big open sky, a waterfront with old, interesting buildings along the banks, and quirky architectural remnants of the former transportation activities that the canal once served. And lately, the convenience of a lovely esplanade that is easily accessed by bicycle or car. Finally, there is a more existential attraction: knowing that this commercial/industrial tract is not going to be around much longer (NOTE: a massive re-zoning proposal for Gowanus was passed by the NY City Council. More on that here: citylimits.org and brooklynpaper.com.)

I have looked at this view many times, often when the sun was not making the scene quite this attractive. On two other occasions I had made small studies on-site of parts of the view with watercolors and oils, and my portable easel. Working on-site, from life is an intense, informative and exciting way to paint. Because the sun keeps moving, the light changes drastically over the course of 2-3 hours, causing shadow shapes and colors to slowly alter. It also forces me to make decisions quickly, and it takes a lot of self-control to stick with them. The best part is that it forces me to capture the most salient features of a view.

In 2018, I did this tiny oil study of the late afternoon sun striking the yellow building, making it seem to glow. I believe it was early autumn given the yellowed leaves of the trees on the left.

Yellow Building in Gowanus, oil on canvas on archival panel, 8” x 10”

Then, this year, from a spot near where I painted a few years ago, I tackled the buildings a little further west with watercolors. Here I included the actual canal with its fantastic reflections in the water:

Gowanus Canal and Clouds, watercolor on paper, 9” x 12”, 2021

The small studies gave me a chance to get a grasp of the buildings - their shapes and how the light affects them - as well as how the nature has managed to push past the manmade stuff and re-asserted herself.

The last time I was there while painting the watercolor I took some photos, because I could see the possibility of a larger painting with a wider scope. I found a used canvas in my studio with an old painting I decided was not worth keeping, especially as it was the perfect size! I turned it upside down and put in the main compositional elements: the two banks of the canal and cloud shapes.

For this composition, I put more emphasis on the sky and clouds, and wanted to capture the way late afternoon light can make a scene more dramatic with less of it lit up by the setting sun. The small studies, which were both done in the late afternoon, gave me a visual record of how I experienced the scene, while the photos provided a reference for structural details. It ended up being a fun and rewarding studio venture.

I have a couple of other small studies that I might reconsider now for future studio projects.

Please leave any comments or questions below!