Sketching Bethesda Fountain at Central Park

Sketching at Bethesda Fountain. Central Park, New York.

Lately I've been going to Central Park in the early mornings and late afternoons with my sketch book and lawn chair to draw. Drawing has been a big passion of mine. I love to draw. What I like best about drawing is the fast results. I can quickly grab a few materials and set up anywhere in Central park and do a quick study sketch. I can move around at one location and create several studies for future paintings, then quickly pack up and go for a walk and look for new locations to sketch. 

Here's a spot I've been wanting to draw for along time at Central Park. The Bethesda Fountain. Great place and a popular location in the city. It's so beautiful.  Sketching here is challenging: lots of perspective drawing with the landscape and structures. I'll be back to this spot soon with easel and canvas.

Plein-Air Painting Central Park Dalehead Arch

Plein-air painting Dalehead Arch, Central Park, New York City.

One of my favorite spots in New York City is painting at Central Park. I did this last summer almost everyday and I loved it.  What I like best is that there are many spots to paint. You can almost set up anywhere to paint a scene and there's a lot of shade from trees.

When I visit Central Park to paint, I'm able to relax and just paint. People walking, biking, picnicking, and all the open space, trees and scenery just makes a nice peaceful environment. I'm looking forward to going back to finish this piece.

Playmats Arch Central Park, New York, New York

Playmates Arch, Color Study, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

Here's a recent Plein Air painting I created. I visit Central Park several times a week to create paintings of the bridges and arches. This spot had its challenges. The first challenge was that I started painting on a cloudy day then, half way through the painting, the sun came out. So I had to make color changes. The forecast said cloudy all day and I wanted to study the light on a cloudy day.

The 2nd challenge was the perspective. There was an optical illusion that was driving me crazy. When I stood there, the angle of the path visually went from the tunnel up towards the right side because the path goes down hill. But optically, I had to do the opposite. It looked one way but I had to draw it the opposite way. You can kinda see it on this image.

Regardless of the challenges, I learned a lot. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Landscape Painting at Central Park New York

Dipway Arch, Central Park, New York, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

This summer, I've been going to Central Park in the mornings to paint landscapes. The experience has been rewarding. I've gotten to know Central Park well and my painting has improved a lot.

Central Park has a lot of beautiful bridges. This one is located on the south side of the park, called Dipway Arch. I painted this one on a cloudy day so it was challenging for me. On sunny days, I can easily paint the lights and shadows, but on cloudy days, there is little contrast and more color range between the lights and darks.